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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How much noise causes permanent hearing loss?

    Related Topics
    Ear, Nose & Throat Disorders Hearing Loss & Deafness
    I work in a manufacturing plant and am concerned about my hearing given the loud noise of the machinery in the plant which i am exposed to every day. What level of noise would damage my hearing?
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  • Soundfair

    Soundfair is a non-profit organisation committed to hearing equality and to transforming the experience and wellbeing of all people with hearing conditions. We do this … View Profile

    In Australia there are regulations which control the level of noise that employees are allowed to be exposed to prior to hearing protection being issued.  Most standards in Australia allow for a daily dose of 85dba over an 8 hour day before an employer is required to issue protection.  If an employer is in doubt they are required to engage the services of an accoustic consultant to clarify whether the limits have been breached.  If they have employees will be issued with training and provided appropriate hearing protection.  For clear information related to your workplace consult your OH&S committee. 

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    Dr David McIntosh

    Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon

    David McIntosh is an Australian trained ENT surgeon with international experience. His areas of interest are paediatrics, nose and sinus disease, and providing access to … View Profile

    Any excessive noise cause damage. It is a function of the intensity of the noise, duration of exposure to that noise, time away from the noise to allow recovery, use of protective equipment to preserve the hearing, and whether you may be more susceptible to noise damage. There are workplace assessors, and special hearing tests that can be utilised to give you the answers you need to know. 

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  • Raji Parangad

    Audiologist

    No referrals required. Cosmetic hearing aid specialist ( we have the latest, most discreet hearing aids in the market), Custom ear plugs, Assertive listening devices. … View Profile

    There is no simple answer to this question.It depends on the duration of noise and how intense the noise is as well as the frequency of this exposure. I guess you want to know if your hearing could be effected by the noise. As a quick measure there are some really good noise measurement apps available now which you could use as a  reference point. Some studies suggest that Apple apps are better since the reference mics in Apple products are better. Not sure about that part.... The apps can do a preliminary measure . This by no means replace  a professional noise assessment... 

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