Face-Fit Testing.

Under the noise at work regulations 2005 employers must provide health surveillance for all your employees who are likely to be regularly exposed above the upper exposure action value, or are at risk for any reason, e.g. they already suffer from hearing loss or are particularly sensitive to damage.

The purpose of health surveillance is to:

•             Warn you when employees might be suffering from early signs of hearing damage.

•             Give you an opportunity to do something to prevent the damage getting worse.

•             Check that control measures are working.

The hearing tests are carried out in line with the British Society of Audiology recommendations and to HSE guidelines, using the categorisation method, as per the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Any employee whose hearing test is below an acceptable level will be sent to their GP or the Occupational Health Physician for further investigation.

How can The Occupational Health Team help

We can handle this aspect of your business for you, by managing your entire health surveillance process. We can undertake an initial risk assessment to establish whether and to what degree health surveillance is necessary for you, and provide a report with clear recommendations based on your needs. We can also help you make cost savings if you already have a health surveillance programme in place, or if you simply want to arrange hearing tests for your staff.

Legislation

Some key points to be aware of:

 •            The new Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (the Noise Regulations 2005) (previous 1989) lay down the legal requirements for controlling noise risk and preventing hearing loss.

•             If employees are, or are liable to be, exposed to noise, their employer needs to ensure they are placed under suitable health surveillance, which includes testing their hearing.

More information

Guidance for employers on the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg362.pdf