Audiometric Testing
Noninvasive hearing tests for employees
Audiometry evaluations are painless, noninvasive hearing tests that measure a person's ability to hear different pitches, tones, or frequencies.
To protect workers' hearing, employers are required to participate in a hearing conservation program for their employees who are routinely exposed to noise levels equal to or greater than 85 decibels. Hearing tests are part of a pre-employment evaluation, must be performed annually, as well as at the end of employment.
Ensure your employees' hearing is being properly conserved
If your employees work in an environment with loud noise, damage to the outer, middle, or inner ear can occur as a result of prolonged exposure or sudden exposure to high decibels. Reliant offers various formal hearing tests:
- Pure tone testing (audiogram): Pure tones of a specific frequency and volume are delivered to one ear at a time. The minimum volume at which each tone can be heard is graphed. A bone conduction test is conducted by placing a device called a bone oscillator against the mastoid bone.
- Speech audiometry: This test measures the ability to detect and repeat spoken words at different volumes heard through a headset.
- Immittance audiometry: This test measures the response of the eardrum and the transmission of sound through the middle ear. An instrument, called a tympanometer, is inserted into the ear and air is pumped through it to produce different tones while pressure measurements are taken. A microphone measures the conductivity of sound within the ear under different pressures.
The length of time for a hearing test will vary depending on the type of test. An initial screening may take about 5 to 10 minutes. Detailed audiometry may take about 1 hour.
