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I agree with you too and this is what we do at Ock Health. At the end of the day, this aspect of OH is a screening service only, and not diagnostic. I always refer any abnormalities on to GP/ENT Specialist. I think it is important to remember that in OH, we are Advisors and Generalists, albeit "Specialist" Generalists, if you understand my meaning. I do not profess to be an Audiologist, but I am very experienced now in identifying problems and abnormalities, and am now confident enough in my practice to "hand it over" to the appropriate Specialist for further investigation and diagnosis. Regards, Sue Susan Clarke Managing Director Ock Health Ltd [log in to unmask] www.ockhealth.com Tel: +44 1235 201280 Fax: +44 1235 424308 -----Original Message----- From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Annie Anderson Sent: 10 January 2008 17:11 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Ambient noise levels during audiometry I totally agree with you Jane, We are carrying out a screening test only, looking for any deviation from the expected or any change in the results from previous ones. We are not doing any diagnosing and if we have concerns then the person is referred to the GP or ENT department for consultation and appropriate testing. When hearing tests are carried out in a quiet office the sound does not differ that much from year to year. Regards Annie Telephone 07788667506 The contents and any attachments of this electronic mail message are confidential and intended only for the named addressees. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the message. Please do not disclose, copy, forward, or act upon the contents of this e mail or any attachments. -----Original Message----- From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jane Fairburn Sent: 10 January 2008 15:57 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [OCC-HEALTH] Ambient noise levels during audiometry Hmmm - so even if an audio is normal then HSE don't believe it is??? Clearly we need to remember we are screening healthy people not diagnosing deafness and prescribing hearing aids! A sound booth is only used to attenuate the interference of extraneous sounds during a hearing test and whilst they reduce, they do not wholly eliminate reverberant and ambient noises in any event as far as I am aware. One of our sites has a booth situated adjacent to the changing rooms & we can't test during shift change! Its simply not as clear as booth or no booth. It seems like common sense to 'screen' people and then consider if further testing is required in a booth - or indeed with appropriately attenuated headset. We should not be seeing new cases of NIHL these days and if we are then something is wrong and its not the OH screening...... Thanks Frank Look forward to your posting the new HSE guidance. Regards, Jane Jane Fairburn Occupational Health Services Director Mobile : 07770 638 268 Office : 01925 227 000 www.people-am.com <http://www.people-am.com/> ________________________________ From: [log in to unmask] on behalf of Frank Oakes Sent: Thu 10/01/2008 15:15 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Ambient noise levels during audiometry A very timely post. Late last year I was privvy to a meeting with HSE who stated that they would not accept a hearing test as being valid unless it was either done in a sound reduction booth or the tester recorded the sound levels during the test with a sound meter and when the levels peaked over a certain level, I am waiting on further details of this, then the test had to be stopped and restarted so it seems that the rule of thumb 'quiet room' is a thing of the past as we can not accurately reproduce the environmental noise levels. I confirmed this via telephone again this week with HSE and they tell me there is new guidance out shortly. As soon as I get the noise levels etc. I will post them here as like myself I am sure this will make an impact on how we practice. Oh yes, they also informed me that they were investigating a number of OH providers/ companies for a variety of bad practices and they are very keen to hear of any more. Oh yes, please remember when replying I am the messenger. Frank ----- Original Message ---- From: "Hawkes, Lynda" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Wednesday, 9 January, 2008 11:57:49 AM Subject: [OCC-HEALTH] Ambient noise levels during audiometry List, Please can someone advise me what the maximum ambient noise levels should be when conducting audiometry without a sound-proof booth? I have looked at "Acoustics - Audiometric test methods BS EN ISO 8253-2:1998 but have to confess that I don't fully understand what I am reading. Thanks Lynda Lynda Hawkes Occupational Health Advisor Thales Aerospace Division Scudamore Road Leicester UK LE3 1UA Tel: +44 (0) 1162 594030 email: [log in to unmask] www.thalesgroup.com Thales UK Limited is incorporated in England and Wales. Company registration number 00868273. Registered office: 2 Dashwood Lang Road, The Bourne Business Park, Addlestone, Nr. Weybridge, Surrey KT15 2NX This message is private and confidential. 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