From 29 July 2025, Work Health and Safety (WHS) regulations in Queensland will require employers to provide audiometric testing for workers who use personal protective equipment (PPE) to manage exposure to hazardous noise that exceeds an exposure standard.
Employers must provide audiometric testing for workers:
- Within 3 months of the worker commencing work,
- at least once every 2 years thereafter, and
- pre-existing employees must receive audiometric testing at least once every 2 years.
How to manage the risk of hazardous noise in your workplace
Employers must follow a structured, four-step risk management process to identify and mitigate the risk of noise hazards:
Step 1: Identify hazards
- Inspect your workplace for noisy equipment, tasks, and environments.
- Consult with workers and Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) to identify hazardous noise sources.
- Review any existing claims or trends in workers’ compensation data related to noise exposure and noise induced hearing loss.
Step 2: Assess the risks
- Conduct a noise assessment where hazardous noise levels are suspected.
- Use tools such as the Noise Exposure Calculator to determine accurate risk levels.
- Identify who is at risk, the effectiveness of existing risk control measures, and whether audiometric testing of employees is required.
Step 3: Control the risks
Apply the hierarchy of control to eliminate or minimise noise exposure:
- Eliminate the noise where reasonably practicable.
- Minimise noise through engineering or administrative controls:
- Introduce a ‘buy quiet’ purchasing and hiring policy to choose the quietest options available.
- Modify equipment or processes to reduce the noise.
- Use flexible rubber mount connections to separate a vibrating noise source from the surface where it’s mounted.
- Apply vibration-damping material to vibrating plant surfaces.
- Reduce the speed of fans or other components.
- Fit pneumatic silencers to compressed-air exhausts or blow nozzles.
- Maintain equipment to prevent excessive noise from loose parts, unbalanced components, worn bearings, and poor lubrication.
- Where possible, change the way work is conducted to reduce workers’ exposure to noise.
- Use absorbent materials to cushion the impacts between hard objects and surfaces, for example, use rubber flaps inside a material bin to break the fall of material.
- Change the force, pressure, or speed that causes loud noise.
- Provide PPE (e.g. earmuffs, earplugs) as a last line of defence where it is not possible to reduce exposure, ensuring suitability, training for proper use, and maintenance.
Step 4: Review workplace control measures
- Periodically assess the effectiveness of controls.
- Investigate any threshold shifts identified through audiometric testing.
- Consult workers before starting or changing a testing program.
Best practices for audiometric testing in the workplace
Audiometric testing should be conducted by a suitably trained professional and must comply with AS/NZS 1269 standards. A robust audiometric testing program includes:
- Initial testing within three months of the worker starting,
- monitoring tests every two years (or more frequently for high-risk groups), and
- comparison testing to detect any noise related injuries or deterioration in hearing.
It is important employers put effective testing protocols in place, but testing alone is not sufficient. It must be part of a broader risk management strategy that includes other controls such as prevention, monitoring, and worker engagement.
While these regulations won’t be in place until 19 July 2025, employers are encouraged to:
- Regularly review current noise control measures to protect workers from hearing damage wherever possible.
- Proactively implement audiometric testing programs to monitor exposure and identify any harmful effects of occupational noise.
- Update WHS policies and consult workers to ensure a safe and compliant workplace that meets noise exposure standards.
How can Business Chamber Queensland help?
Business Chamber Queensland provides expert workplace advisory and consulting services to help your business meet audiometric testing and noise risk management requirements.
We can support you to:
- Understand your obligations under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Code of Practice 2021.
- Assess workplace risks related to hazardous noise and develop practical, industry-appropriate control measures.
- Consult effectively with workers and health and safety representatives when introducing new safety processes.
- Implement policies and procedures for audiometric testing and noise management.
- Help your business remain compliant through tailored WHS advice and updates.
Additional resources
Additional information on managing noise in the workplace and reducing negative health effects can be found in the following resources:
