Deterioration of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Not Compensable After Discharge

Deterioration of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Not Compensable After Discharge

Specialist medical advice indicates that noise-induced (sensori-neural) hearing loss will not continue to deteriorate once exposure to workplace noise has ceased.  Accordingly, any deterioration in hearing after the date of discharge cannot be attributed to Defence employment and must arise from other factors such as the ageing process or further exposure to noise in civilian life.  Note however that, in appropriate circumstances, deterioration in other forms of hearing loss (eg. conductive deafness) may continue to be related to Defence employment after discharge.

Assessors should bear this specialist medical advice in mind when advising discharging or discharged members about any possible future entitlement to compensation for the permanent impairment of loss of hearing.

Assessors should also note that there will be the occasional case where the “date first sought medical treatment” (ie. the Date of Injury) was after the member left ADF employment.  In such cases, where the date of injury is after the commencement of new hearing loss provisions on 1 October 2001 (or exposure to noise continued after that date), a 2.5% WPI threshold applies (the previous threshold was 10% WPI).  In such cases, the assessor must be satisfied that the assessed hearing loss is due to noise exposure during military service and not exposure subsequent to discharge from the military.