Surveillance Audiometry Hearing Tests for Manufacturing
Surveillance Audiometry Hearing Tests in Manufacturing
Safe hearing is vital for construction workers. In addition to the risks due to noise – hearing is an essential part of every workers’ safety toolkit, where listening out for warnings and danger can be a lifesaver.
Unfortunately. constuction workers are exposed to harmful noise from their own activities and tools, as well as from environmental noise.
Noise at Work in Manufacturing
Sources & complications of Noise on Construction sites and in Building Maintenance
- Heavy plant & specialist machinery, e.g. earth moving, mixers
- Hand tools & power tools
- Site infrastructure – e.g. Air compressors, pumps & tools
- Impact noise – e.g. loading/unloading, scaffolding
- Trucks, transport & logistics
- Environmental noise & entertainment – e.g. radios
- Highly reverberant acoustics and enclosed spaces increase apparent noise levels
- Personal equipment – e.g. ear warmers/ bands & safety helmets often interfere with hearing protection
Traditional approaches find providing hearing tests in construction challenging because:
- Dynamic workforce movements on site means short opportunity to test staff
- High levels of ambient noise on site can make hearing tests difficult
- Sub-contractors can confuse safety responsibilities
- Extreme noise sources – e.g. handtools – require testing around the potential effects of temporary threshold shift
- Staff that require translators add cost and complexity
Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)
NIHL is irreversible damage to the delicate structures of the ear caused by exposure to loud noise. It is the second most common cause of hearing loss and is the most common industrial disease.
According to the RNID, tinnitus can be a first sign that your hearing has been damaged by noise.
Causes
NIHL causes damage to the hearing mechanisms within the inner. NIHL is caused by exposure to noise:
How Health Wizard at Work can help
Health Wizard at Work is the easiest workplace hearing test for staff anywhere at any time of day. Our test is fully portable, comprehensive and simple to operate, which means Health Wizard at Work is easy to roll out, wherever the site and whatever the size of workforce.
Instantly available at any time of day without specialist training, Health Wizard at Work makes hearing tests available to anyone used to a smartphone or tablet.
We are proud to support workers of any nationality with our multi-language tests and information. This means everyone receives the same care, without scheduling complexities and costs associated with arranging translators.
The Health Wizard at Work handset is a portable unit, designed for the workplace (not a clinic!), so that audiometric testing can take place closer to operations with minimum management effort and hassle. Portability and flexibility also means it is easier to identify and test in a suitably quiet location.
HealthWizard users therefore cut staff downtime using Health Wizard at Work, while providing essential care and more time for staff to engage with surveillance audiometry and hearing care.