Hearing loss is the slow occupational injury — by the time you notice it, it is permanent. Australia makes employers test the hearing of noise-exposed workers, and noise-induced hearing loss is compensable in every state. Here is the testing duty, the QLD change, and the claim.
The audiometric testing duty
Under the model WHS laws, a PCBU must provide and pay for audiometric (hearing) testing for workers who frequently need hearing protection because noise exceeds the exposure standard — 85 dB(A) averaged over 8 hours, or 140 dB(C) peak:
- a baseline audiogram within 3 months of starting noisy work;
- then testing at least every 2 years (more often — for very high exposures around 100 dB(A)).
A notable recent change: in QLD, audiometric testing became mandatory from 29 July 2025 for workers relying on hearing PPE. WA has both the WHS requirement and a separate workers' comp right to an employer-funded test every 2 years for "noisy employment". The rule of thumb: if exposure exceeds the standard and your controls rely on hearing PPE, the employer must fund the baseline and the ongoing tests. (Noise control and hearing protection: Noise, Confined Spaces & Excavations.)
Workers' comp for noise-induced hearing loss
NIHL is compensable as an occupational disease in every state — assessed as a permanent impairment and paid as a lump sum, with medical and hearing-aid costs covered. The thresholds and amounts are state-specific (treat these as examples, not a fixed tariff):
- NSW: binaural loss assessed by an Approved Medical Specialist — broadly a 20.5% binaural loss (about 11% WPI) threshold for many post-2002 claims, with a lump sum scaled by % loss plus hearing aids.
- VIC: an impairment rating against the benefit tables (even relatively minor loss can qualify), with lump sums cited up to six figures for severe or total loss (indexed — confirm current).
- QLD, WA, SA, ACT, TAS, NT: each assesses % binaural loss or WPI against its guides, with a minimum threshold for a lump sum (WA, for example, looks at a >10% binaural change versus baseline) but no threshold for reasonable medical and hearing-aid costs.
The claim pathway
- Notice hearing difficulty or tinnitus → see your GP.
- ENT or audiologist for an audiogram and a work-history assessment to quantify binaural loss and opine on work causation (a scheme-approved assessor in some states).
- Lodge a claim naming the last or main "noisy" employer, within the statutory window (often up to 3 years from diagnosis or awareness).
- The insurer investigates the exposure history and may commission further testing.
- Outcome — hearing aids and medical costs plus a lump sum from the impairment tables; and if there is employer negligence with relatively high impairment (≥15% WPI in NSW), a separate work-injury damages claim on top.
(The PI mechanics are in Permanent Impairment Benefits.)
Common mistakes
- Assuming you need a sudden event — NIHL builds up over years and is still compensable.
- Not getting the baseline audiogram, which is what later loss is measured against.
- Leaving a claim too long (the window is generally up to 3 years from awareness).
- Employers not funding testing for PPE-reliant noisy roles (now mandatory in QLD).
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