Name: Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing
Address: Calgary Alberta Canada, AB
Telephone: (403) 399-4775

One of the most effective ways to measure your hearing capacity is an audiogram. The audiogram is a results sheet put to use for “pure tone” hearing tests. They effectively indicate your range of hearing, from deep and quiet sounds to high, loud noises. Below, you can learn about the process of taking the test, reading the audiogram and possible indications of your results.

Additionally, we will give recommendations on how to combat hearing loss in your workplace. Among other options, custom earplugs can prove to be an asset for long-term dynamic hearing.

How We Use Audiograms

The Pure Tone Hearing Test

We typically perform hearing tests in one of our mobile vehicles for convenience. Inside, we have soundproof testing booths that meet local and provincial testing requirements, including CSA standards. We measure your hearing in both ears through a series of tones that rise in loudness for particular frequencies across a part of the sound spectrum.

When you arrive, you will don a set of headphones and hold a small button. Then, the tones will begin, and when you first hear the sound, you indicate it with the signal. The test records your input, and this process repeats until the completion of the test. Afterwards, we share the results with you and offer any insights we may have to share.

How to Read an Audiogram

The first step in reading an audiogram is to understand the two measures of assessment. The first is pitches and frequencies, which we measure in Hz (Hertz). You read this from a deep tone (250 Hz) on the left to a high tone (8000 Hz) on the right.

The second metric is loudness or intensity, which goes from quietest at the bottom and loudest at the top, and decibels (dB) are the unit of measurement. Typically, the audiogram has a range of 0dB (quiet) to 100 dB (loud).

Therefore, each mark on the audiogram indicates the lowest intensity threshold for multiple frequencies that each ear hears. Usually, we mark the right ear results with an “O” and the left ear with an “X.”

Interpreting the Results

Generally, hearing loss results from continuous exposure to loud noises or a single loud incident at close range. If we find results on your audiogram where you indicated hearing a particular frequency above a certain threshold, it is typically a sign of hearing loss.

However, ears will often have different frequency thresholds due to previous overexposure, and poor results in one ear might not show up in the other. As a result, when we share your test results, we may advise you to seek a medical professional for hearing-related concerns.

Custom Ear Plugs and Other Hearing Protection

If you work with loud noises regularly, you should have hearing protection. Although custom earplugs are the most effective method, disposable earplugs and reusable muffs are still better than leaving your ears without protection. All of this protective equipment reduces the intensity of sound and keep the sensitive inner ear safe from long-term damage. Work with your employer to find a solution that works to keep them protected and their workers safe.

Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing is your locally owned and operated Calgary business. We are committed to providing mobile hearing testing services and other safety tests, to numerous industries and companies in Western Canada. Our services are part of the WorkSafeBC Provider Network, while our sound booths are approved by the CSA. We offer audiometry testing, mask fit testing, custom earplugs, noise measurements, help with implementing a hearing conservation program, and spirometry testing. If you want to improve your workplace, leave it in the hands of our team. Contact us today on (403) 399-4775.

There are many good and responsible reasons for an employer to provide audiometry testing for their workers. One of the best reasons is the legislative requirement set out by Alberta Occupational Health & Safety (OHS). Still, there are also moral and even cost-saving reasons to engage with this valuable service.

However, we still occasionally field questions about why audiometry testing is important and ways to avoid doing it. As a result, we put together a shortlist of the hidden costs of audiometry testing.

4 Results of Ignoring Audiometry Testing

Human Impact

Perhaps one of the most obvious hidden costs of employers shirking their audiometry testing is the human impact. Noise exposure is a cumulative effect, which means that the longer an individual works in an area with detrimental noise levels, the more their hearing will suffer. As a result, long term employees may suffer hearing loss prematurely.

Although this does show a lack of responsibility on the employer’s part, it can also lead to financial penalties if negligence can be proved. Did you know that offences related to safety violations are the only offences in Canada where offenders are guilty until they prove their innocence?

Legislative Fines

One of the biggest hidden costs of audiometry testing is the potential for heavy administrative fines from OH&S. Although there is a relatively small precedent for awarding large fines, employers need to remember what they may be on the hook for. Indeed, for a first-time offence, the fine is up to $500,000! With potential increases to the fine amount of up to $30,000 per day for continuing the offence, these fines carry a hefty burden.

Cumulative Problems

There are also cumulative costs to consider when employers ignore the importance of audiometric tests. In this way, starting late can lead to significant grandfather costs. A good example would be a compressor room built without considering potential noise exposure. Implementing noise reduction materials or controls at a later date may cause significant downtime for staff and operations.

Larger Startup Costs

In a similar vein to the cumulative problems that affect worksites where noise exposure is not reduced, larger startup costs also play a role. Again, we can use our earlier example of a compressor room that needs modification. If the sound levels cannot be reduced around the worksite, it might be necessary to replace the compressor unit with a quieter version. Alternatively, it might be necessary to move the worksite away from the compressor to reduce workers’ exposure. Considering that these only refer to engineered controls, and not the administrative and PPE requirements, it is easy to imagine how these changes could quickly get out of hand.

To learn more about employer responsibilities in Alberta, consider the OH&S Safety Code. This resource provides information and guidance about all employer responsibilities to their worksite, employees, contractors and themselves. For fines, penalties and legal information, the OH&S Safety Act is the perfect resource.