Module 5: Hearing Loss and Compensation - How To Approach This Section:

HEARING CONSERVATION AND NOISE-INDUCED HEARING LOSS :

How To Approach This Section:

A. CURRENT LEGISLATION & LEARNER OBJECTIVES:

This subsection comprises all the current South African Legislation regarding the prevention and management of a hearing conservation programme and the notification of noise-induced hearing loss. Each piece of legislation has its own learner objectives, which is important to reach for the learner to have a full understanding of what is required to have a Hearing Conservation Programme which complies with legal requirement.

1. Department of Minerals & Energy (Mine Health and Safety Act): Guideline for the compilation of a Mandatory Code of Practice for an occupational health programme for NOISE:

   • The DME guideline has 7 modules, each with its own learner objectives. This document is important to get a thorough understanding of a hearing conservation programme. All the other pieces of legislation (see below) were derived from this guideline. If a learner reaches the learner objective he/she will have a thorough understanding of what is the requirements for a hearing conservation programme.

2. Department of Labour (Occupational Health and Safety Act - Regulation 307): NOISE-INDUCED HEARING LOSS REGULATIONS:.

   • Learner Objectives.

   • This regulation states what is required in industry. The more comprehensive discussions of the DME guideline will assist the learner with the practical implementation of these regulations in industry.

   • The completion of these learner objectives can serve as the plan of action to make an industrial site compliant with this regulation.

3. Department of Labour (Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act - Circular Instruction 171 and its supplement dealing with transitional arrangements between the repealed Circular Instruction 168): The determination of permanent disablement resulting from hearing loss caused by exposure to excessive noise and trauma:

   • This instruction states how a case of noise-induced hearing loss should be diagnosed and reported to the Compensation Commissioner.

   • Examples of documents to be submitted under this Circular:

     • Notification Of Occupational Disease to the Commissioner
     • Referral Letter To ENT Specialist
     • Control Form For Reporting Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
     • Example of Hearing Questionnaire Form
     • Referral To Audiologist For Diagnostic Audiogram

B. APPROACH TO AUDIOMETRY:

This subsection gives the learner practical tips on how to approach and interpret an audiogram:

1. How to approach an audiogram.
2. Hearing - examination and measurement.
3. A draft document on how to approach baseline audiometry in the period following 16 November 2003 (the final document will be made available to learners as soon as it is finalised).
4. A few audiometric case studies.

C. LECTURE NOTES:

A PowerPoint presentation which will form the bases of the session by Dr Stefanus Snyman. A Web-based version is available here: "Fine tuning our practical approach to the new Hearing Conservation Legislation".