Workplace hearing tests (audiometry) for employers
If your staff work in noise, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require you to provide hearing checks, known as health surveillance. We test your people at our Ilkley clinic, or come to your site anywhere in the UK, including outside normal hours to fit around shifts. Each test takes 20 to 30 minutes and is carried out by an HCPC-registered professional.
£35 per person at our Ilkley clinic. Testing a group, or want us on site? Ask us for a quote, with volume rates for a full shift. There’s no VAT to add.
In our clinic
or on your site
At our Ilkley clinic we test in an Amplivox 350S sound booth, built to the BS EN ISO 8253-1 standard, which gives the most reliable results.
We can also come to your site anywhere in the UK, so your staff don’t have to travel.
Who needs hearing checks?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says health surveillance is needed for anyone likely to be regularly exposed above the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A). It’s also needed for anyone at risk for another reason, for example someone who already has some hearing loss.
The regulations also set a lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A). At that level you must assess the risk and give staff information and training. The exposure limit value is 87 dB(A), taking hearing protection into account.
How often should staff be tested?
Ideally before someone starts working in noise, to give a baseline. HSE guidance then suggests a test every year for the first two years, then every three years. Tests may need to be more often if a problem is found or the risk of hearing damage is high. We keep track of when your people are due and let you know.
What happens at the test
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We look in each ear to check for wax or anything else that could affect the result. If wax is blocking the ear, we postpone the test, and we can remove the wax for you.
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The hearing test itself: the person wears headphones and presses a button each time they hear a tone, at a range of pitches in each ear.
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We explain the result on the day.
What you receive
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Each person’s result, explained to them on the day.
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Each person’s HSE category, from 1 (acceptable hearing) to 4 (rapid hearing loss), with any difference between the two ears flagged.
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A report for you as the employer, released with each employee’s consent.
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A reminder when people are due their next test.
HSE guidance says people in category 3 or 4 should be referred for further assessment. We’ll tell you and the employee what needs to happen next.
Combine hearing tests with other checks
Many employers book hearing tests alongside spirometry, hand-arm vibration checks or a fit to work medical, so staff are away from work once rather than several times. See workplace spirometry, safety critical and fit to work medicals, or all our occupational health services.
Common questions
How much does a workplace hearing test cost?
£35 per person at our Ilkley clinic. On site, we quote per worker, with volume rates for a full shift. There’s no VAT to add.
How long does it take?
20 to 30 minutes per person.
Can you test outside normal working hours?
Yes. We can visit one or several sites, including at night and at weekends, to cover shift patterns.
Who carries out the test?
An HCPC-registered professional.