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Informationforemployers Hearinglossclaims January2013 WorkSafeprovidesfairandappropriatecompensationtoworkerswithwork-relatedinjuriesorillnesses.WorkSafealsoaims toprotectthehealthandsafetyofpeopleatworktohelpreducethesocialandeconomiccostofwork-relatedinjuriesand illnessestotheVictoriancommunity. Whatishearingloss? Noise-inducedhearinglossisanirreversibleconditionthatcanhaveasignificantimpactonaworker’slife. Themajorityofwork-relatedhearinglossinjuriesoccuroveranextendedperiodoftime,sometimesmanyyears,asaresultof exposuretoindustrialnoise.Werefertothistypeofhearinglossasagradualonsetinjury.Thistypeofhearinglosscan presentduringemployment,ornotbeidentifiedbytheworkeruntilmanyyearsafterexposure. Hearinglosscanalsoresultfromexposuretosuddenloudnoises,suchasexplosions,gunshotsorheavyhammering.These typesofnoisesarecommonlyreferredtoas‘impact’noisesand,ifloudenough,cancauseimmediate,permanentdamage. Protectingyourworkersagainsthearingloss Morethan100,000Victorianworkersrisktheirhearingeverydayinnoisyworkplaces.Workerswhosuffernoise-induced hearinglossrelatedtotheiremploymentcanmakeaclaimforcompensationundertheVictorianWorkersCompensation Legislation. Youcantakemeasurestoprotectyourworkersagainsthearinglossandreducethechancesofliabilityforahearingloss claim: complywithOccupationalHealth&SafetyRegulationsfornoisyworkplaces(accessiblefromworksafe.vic.gov.au–enter ‘Noise’inthewebsitesearchengine) eliminateorreducetheriskofexposuretonoisethroughtheprovisionandenforcementofnoiseprotectiveequipment conductnoiseleveltestingofallareasoftheworkplace,includingwhennewequipmentisaddedorreplaced conductaudiometrichearingtestswithinthreemonthsoftheemployeecommencingwork,and conductaudiometrichearingtestsduringthecourseofemployment,andatleasteverytwoyears,toidentifyany deteriorationinhearingandtakeadditionalpreventativemeasures. HowdoesWorkSafedecidewhichemployerisliableforahearinglossclaim? Ashearinglossinjuriescanoccuroverextendedperiodsoftime,theLegislationprovidesamethodthatallocatesliabilityto oneemployerforallgradualonsethearinglossclaims.Thisisbasedonadeemeddateofinjury,whichiseither: thelastdateoftheworker’semploymentduringwhichtheywereexposedtonoise,or iftheworkerisstillemployedwithanemployerthathasexposedthemtonoise,thedatetheclaimismade. Theemployeratthetimeofthedeemedinjurydateistheoneliableforthehearinglossclaim.Thismethodofliability allocationprovidesaconsistentandtimelyapproachtomanaginghearinglossclaims. CaseStudy1 JimworkedatEmployerAfor20yearsasamachineoperator.Throughoutthisemployment,Jimwasoftenexposedto noise.JimthenmovedontoanewjobatEmployerBasaProductionLineManager,whereJimwasagainexposedto noise.ThreemonthsaftercommencingwithEmployerB,Jimsawanaudiologistandwasdiagnosedwithgradualonset hearingloss.Jimthenmadeaclaim.AsJimwasexposedtonoiseandworkingwithEmployerBwhenhemadetheclaim, thedatehesubmittedtheclaimisthesetdateofinjuryand,assuch,EmployerBisliablefortheclaim. CaseStudy2 RandallworkedatEmployerAfortwoyearsintheirindustrialplantasasheetmetalworker.Throughoutthenext20years RandallcontinuedtoworkasasheetmetalworkerwithEmployersB,C,DandE,workingateachemployerforvarying lengthsoftime.Finally,Randallgotajobatahardwarestoreasasalesassistant.Tenyearslater,Randallwasdiagnosed withgradualonsethearinglossandsubmittedaclaim.Inthisinstance,employerEisliableforRandall’sclaimasthe natureofRandall’slastknownemployment(withinthehardwarestore)wasnotlikelytoexposehimtoindustrialnoise. WhatcompensationcanWorkSafeprovideforworkerswithacceptedhearinglossclaims? Forwork-relatedhearingloss,WorkSafecanpay: thereasonablecostsofarangeofhearingservicesanddevices(medicalandlikeservices) animpairmentbenefit(post12November1997injuries)orlumpsumpayment(pre12November1997injuries) weeklypaymentsiftheworkersuffersanincapacityforworkresultingfrom,ormateriallycontributedtobytheirhearingloss injury. Whatistheemployerexcess? Theemployerthatisliableforaworker’shearinglossclaimisrequiredtopayanexcessbeingalimitedamountofthemedical andlikeexpensesfortheclaim.Thisamountisindexedannuallyandcanbefoundatworksafe.vic.gov.au.Employerscan selecttheexcessbuyoutoptionwhenstartingorrenewingtheirpolicy,whichprovidescoverfortheexcessonanyaccepted claims. Willahearinglossclaimimpactonmypremium? Forinformationonhowanindividualclaimmayimpactpremium,talktoyourWorkSafeAgent. Howarehearinglossclaimsforimpairmentbenefitsassessed? WorkSafeusesguidelinespreparedbytheNationalAcousticLaboratory(NAL),aCommonwealthGovernmentAuthoritythat conductsscientificresearchintoallaspectsofhearing. TheNALguidelinesprovide: aconsistentnationalstandardofmeasurement methodstocalculateanddeducthearinglosscausedbythenaturalageingprocess,and individualhearinglossvaluesforcomponentfrequenciesaffectedbynoiseexposure. Forinjuriesonorafter12November1997aworkerisentitledtoanimpairmentbenefitiftheyhaveawork-relatedhearing lossof10percentormoreaccordingtotheNALguidelines.Differenteligibilitycriteriaapplyforlumpsumpaymentsfor hearinglossinjuriesbeforethisdate. Formoreinformation,pleaseseethe‘ImpairmentBenefitsexplained’informationsheetavailableatworksafe.vic.gov.au. Whatdoesanemployerneedtodoandwhatdoestheworkerneedtodo? Thefollowingtableliststheformsthatneedtobecompletedtorequestspecificservicesorentitlements. T ypeofclaim Form Forcompletionby Worker’sInjuryClaimForm Bothworkerandemployer Hearingserviceordevice(medicalandlikeservices) EmployerInjuryClaimReport Theemployer Hearinglossquestionnaires Bothworkerandemployer Impairmentbenefit(post12 November1997) Worker’sClaimforImpairment BenefitsForm Boththeworkerandemployerneedtocomplete theappropriateparts Hearinglossquestionnaires Bothworkerandemployer CaseStudy3 Maryworkedasamachineandpressstampoperatorfor10yearswithEmployerA.EmployerAagreedthattheworkplace wasnoisyandearprotectionwasrequiredintheformofearmuffs.Marywouldliftherearmuffsduringshortconversations andcompletelyremovethemforconversationsof10minutesormore.DuringMary’scourseofemployment,shewas exposedtonoisefor6outof8hoursaday.EventhoughMaryworehearingprotectionforamajorityofherworkingday, EmployerAisliableforanynoiseinducedhearingloss. Isthereatimelimitformakingahearinglossclaim? No.Itisimportantthatemployersretaincopiesofanyaudiometrictestingornoiseleveltestingoftheirworkersandworkplace foraslongaspossible.IfahearinglossclaimismadethosetestresultsshouldbemadeavailabletotheWorkSafeAgent. ContactDetails Calluson:1800136089 Emailusat:[email protected] Formoreinformationonoccupationalhealthandsafety, gotoWorkSafe’swebsite:worksafe.vic.gov.au NOTE:Theinformationcontainedinthispublicationisprotectedbycopyright.WorkSafeVictoriaencouragesthefreetransfer,copyingandprintingofthe informationinthispublicationifsuchactivitiessupportthepurposesandintentforwhichthepublicationwasdeveloped.
