Table 7.1 - Hearing

Table 7.1 - Hearing

Table 7.1 “Hearing” in the Approved Guide is in the following form:

Hearing defects are assessed in accordance with the current procedures from the Australian National Acoustic Laboratories.

Once the binaural percentage loss of hearing has been calculated, it is then converted to a whole person impairment value.

The calculation for converting the percentage loss of hearing to a whole person percentage is:

The PI Calculator collects information on hearing loss in terms of the percentage binaural hearing loss and automatically converts this into a WPI.

WPI for Hearing Loss may be expressed in graduations less than 5%

WPI in Table 7.1, unlike the other tables in Part A of the Approved Guide, may be expressed in graduations of less than 5% because the WPI is half of the binaural percentage of hearing loss determined by medical examination.

If a hearing loss WPI is to be used in the Combined Values Chart (Table 14.1), it will automatically be rounded up or down to a whole integer (0.5 will be rounded up).

Where the hearing loss occurred before 1 October 2001, as a matter of policy, a hearing loss WPI of 9.5% or greater will be accepted as meeting the 10% minimum impairment requirement in s 24(7).

Where the hearing loss occurred on or after 1 October 2001, new s 24(7A) provides that the threshold is a binaural hearing loss of 5% (2.5% WPI).  If the Date of Injury is before 1 October 2001, but exposure to noise continues after that date, the client is entitled to compensation under the reduced threshold.

Hearing impairment must be distinguished from neurological impairment

Hearing impairment under Table 7.1 must be distinguished from loss of the capacity to comprehend spoken language ie. distinguish the ability to receive auditory signals from the ability to interpret such signals.  Loss of hearing comprehension is assessed under Table 12.2 “Comprehension - Hearing and Reading”.

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, 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.