Changes to Queensland’s work health and safety regulation require mining managers and operators to provide audiometric testing for workers who use personal protective equipment and are exposed to noise exceeding exposure standards.
These changes to the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 are now in effect and mandate this testing due to the risk of hearing loss associated with this exposure.
The requirements apply to workers in all industries and workplaces where a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) requires a worker to use hearing protection to protect against noise which exceeds the exposure standard.
PCBUs that fail to comply could receive fines of up to $6,000, improvement or prohibition notices or legal proceedings such as prosecutions.
For workers who started the work on or after 29 July 2025, the PCBU must arrange audiometric testing within three months of them commencing work, and then at least every two years thereafter.
For workers who started this work before 29 July 2025, the first test must be completed before 29 July 2027 and then every two years after that.
The WHS Regulation defines audiometric testing as ‘testing and measurement of the hearing threshold levels of each ear of a person by means of pure tone air conduction threshold tests’.
“Audiometric testing is a painless, non-invasive test that measures the softest sound a person can hear across a range of different frequencies,” a Workplace Health and Safety Queensland advisory stated.
“This type of testing is used to detect a person’s ability to hear tones at various frequencies and volumes, one ear at a time.
“The changes to testing requirements for workers exposed to noise exceeding exposure standards will help to protect workers by identifying any changes to their hearing early.”
Providing hearing protection to a worker does not automatically trigger the requirement to provide audiometric testing, it said.
“To determine if the duty to provide audiometric testing applies, the PCBU providing the hearing protection to the worker should also establish that the noise the worker is exposed to exceeds the exposure standard, and the worker is required to wear the hearing protection.”
Urges appointment at audiology clinic
The body said PCBUs were responsible for organising and paying for audiometric tests for their workers. Appointments could be made at any audiology clinic that meets the requirements of AS/NZS 1269.4:2014, and no doctor referral was needed, it added.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said some providers conducted occupational hearing assessments in shopping centres. “It is to check with the service provider to ensure they can meet the requirements in AS/NZS 1269.4:2014 Occupational noise management – Auditory assessment,” the organisation stated.
Managing noise and preventing hearing loss at work Code of Practice 2021 is being updated to reflect the changes.
To help businesses and workers, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has developed information about:
- personal hearing protectors
- personal hearing protectors – selection
- personal hearing protection – different types
- Click here for answers to common questions about the new requirements, including who is affected, when testing must occur, and for obligations as a person conducting a business or undertaking.
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