When to Retest Hearing Protection: Audiometry and Fit Test Timing
There are two different “retests” behind this question, and they run on different clocks. Audiometric (hearing) testing has a legal schedule: within three months of a worker starting, then at least every two years. Hearing protector fit testing has no fixed legal interval, so the timing is a decision your site makes and can defend. This guide sets out both, and shows how to tie them together so nothing slips.
TL;DR
Where workers are frequently required to wear hearing protection against noise, audiometric testing is due within 3 months of starting and at least every 2 years after that.
Test more often when exposure is very high: the NSW guidance points to a daily average of 100 dB(A) or more as a trigger for more frequent testing.
Fit testing has no set legal interval. Retest at onboarding, whenever the device, the worker or the noise changes, and on a regular review cycle your hearing conservation program sets.
A reported threshold shift or tinnitus means act now: check the protector, re-fit, retrain and review the noise controls.
Keep dated records for both tests so an auditor can see the schedule at a glance.
Table of Contents
Two tests, two different clocks
People use “hearing test” and “fit test” interchangeably, but they answer different questions.
Audiometric test | Hearing protector fit test | |
What it measures | The worker’s hearing thresholds | How much noise reduction this protector gives this person |
Question it answers | Has this person’s hearing changed? | Is this device sealing and protecting properly? |
Timing | Set by regulation | Set by your program and risk assessment |
Who it checks | The worker | The worker and the equipment together |
Audiometry tells you whether harm may be happening. Fit testing tells you whether your main defence is working before harm shows up. A good program uses both.
When audiometric testing is due
The rule applies when a worker is frequently required by their employer to wear hearing protection as a control for noise. In Western Australia, WorkSafe WA explains that the business providing the protection must arrange the test within three months of the worker starting, and in any event at least every two years. It sets this out under regulation 58 of the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 and the WHS (Mines) Regulations 2022. The same page says the employer must provide and pay for the testing.
Two points are easy to miss:
Handing out earplugs is not the trigger by itself. WorkSafe WA says the worker must also be frequently required to wear the protection, and the noise must exceed the exposure standard.
“Frequently” is not defined. The ordinary meaning applies, so document how you decided who falls inside the program.
SafeWork NSW gives the same pattern for its jurisdiction and notes that baseline tests should ideally be done before the worker is first exposed to hazardous noise. Rules differ slightly between states and for mines, so check the regulator that covers your site.
When to test more often than every two years
The two-year interval is a ceiling, not a target. The WHS guidance linked to the ACT regulations says more frequent testing is expected when a worker’s daily noise exposure averages 100 dB(A) or more over eight hours. Because every 3 dB increase halves the allowable exposure time, 100 dB(A) without protection can exceed the daily exposure standard in as little as 15 minutes.
In practice, shorten the interval when:
a worker moves into a louder area or a role with more time near plant
a previous test showed a change from baseline
a worker reports ringing, muffled hearing or difficulty following speech
your noise assessment shows exposure has risen
Time the test within the shift
The National Code of Practice says workers should be tested well into the work shift, at least halfway through, rather than at the start of the day. Testing late in the shift helps detect temporary threshold shifts, which can show whether the current protection is working in real conditions.
When to retest the fit of hearing protection
Here the regulator leaves the interval to you. That does not mean “never”. The same Code is clear that audiometric results are only meaningful as part of a wider noise control program, and a fit test is the quickest way to check the protection part of that program for each individual.
The case for individual testing is simple. A protector’s label rating comes from laboratory conditions. The hearing conservation alliance guidance explains that those methods rely on optimum fitting under laboratory conditions and use group statistics, which can be a poor predictor for one wearer in the field. SafeWork NSW also notes that there are two approved methods for rating hearing protectors in Australia, so a label number is only a starting point.
Retest triggers we recommend
We treat a fit test as out of date when any of these happen:
Onboarding. Test before or soon after a worker’s first exposure, so the baseline audiometry and the first fit test tell one story. Our post on earplug fit tests at onboarding and after changes goes into this.
A new protector. A different model, size or brand is a different fit. Do not assume the rating transfers.
A change to the worker. Significant weight change, dental work, an ear injury or surgery, or a new hearing aid can alter how a plug seals.
A change to the noise. New plant, a different task or a new area can mean you need a different level of attenuation.
A result that raises a flag. A threshold shift on audiometry, or a report of tinnitus.
Your scheduled review. Set a regular interval in your hearing conservation program, and keep to it. Many sites use annual retesting, and tying it to the audiometry cycle keeps the paperwork simple.
The annual cycle is a site choice rather than a legal rule. What matters is that your program states the interval, and that you can show it was met.
What to do after a threshold shift or tinnitus report
This is the moment retesting stops being routine. The National Code says that if a worker reports a threshold shift or tinnitus, the employer should investigate straight away. That includes checking the protection is adequate and undamaged, and re-fitting or retraining the worker so they use it correctly. If a follow-up test shows a permanent threshold shift, the worker should be referred to a specialist for medical assessment.
Swapping in a new set of earplugs is not enough. The alliance guidance recommends a field fit test of the replacement for that specific worker, because comfort and correct insertion matter as much as the nominal rating.
The Code also makes a point that managers sometimes overlook: audiometry is not a preventive measure in itself. If results show hearing loss, the next question is whether engineering or administrative controls need review, not only whether the earplugs are the right ones.
Why a good fit still fails without consistent use
A retest can only confirm protection at the moment of the test. The ACT guidance warns that removing protection for even one hour in an 8-hour shift can drop effective protection from a nominal 30 dB to as low as 9 dB. For that reason, the retest schedule should sit alongside toolbox talks and supervision that keep protectors in all through the exposure period. If you need templates for that side of your safety system, WHS resources and documents can help you build the paperwork.
Overprotection matters too. The same guidance notes that a device that blocks too much sound can stop workers hearing verbal instructions and warning signals. Matching the protector to the person and the task is part of the job, and employee safety guidance for the workplace is a good companion when you review how roles and environments differ across a site.
A simple retest calendar for a site
Here is a straightforward way to organise it for a team of, say, 40 workers in a noisy area:
Register. List every worker frequently required to wear hearing protection, with start dates.
Audiometry. Diarise a baseline within three months of each start date, then a repeat at least every two years. Move high-exposure workers to a shorter cycle.
Fit testing. Test at onboarding, then on the review cycle your program sets.
Change log. Whenever a protector model, task or noise assessment changes, add a fit retest to the list.
Follow-up. Any reported threshold shift or tinnitus goes straight to investigation, re-fit and retraining.
Records. Store dates, results and actions in one place. If an auditor asks, you can answer in minutes.
Our post on hearing conservation requirements and audit-ready fit testing explains how this fits into an audit, and 5 to 10 minute fit tests for safety managers shows how little time per worker it takes.
Our perspective: make the fit test part of the rhythm, not an afterthought
We train and test crews in the Pilbara, where shifts are long, plant is loud and pulling a team away from site costs real money. What we see is that audiometry is usually well diarised because the regulation names it. Fit testing is the gap, because nobody has told the site when it is due.
Our advice is to run the two together. When a worker is booked for hearing tests, check their protector fit in the same cycle, and add a retest whenever something changes: model, task, noise, or a result that looks off. A fit test takes minutes, and it gives the worker something concrete: proof their protector works for their ears, and coaching to insert it properly if it does not.
We would rather come to you than have you shut down a shift. Our mobile approach lets us test on site, including outside standard business hours, so the schedule fits the roster rather than the other way round.
— Vapour
Book hearing protector fit testing with us
We deliver Hearing Protective Device Fit Tests on site for businesses in Port Hedland and across the Pilbara, alongside respirator fit testing and a range of safety and first aid courses. Each program can be tailored to your workplace and risks. Fit test pricing is not published, so see our courses and get in touch and we will work out a schedule that suits your site and your roster.
FAQ
How often must hearing tests be done for workers who wear hearing protection?
Within three months of starting the work, and at least every two years after that, where the worker is frequently required to wear hearing protection against noise. WorkSafe WA sets this out under regulation 58. Higher exposure, such as a daily average of 100 dB(A) or more, calls for more frequent testing.
Is there a legal interval for earplug fit testing?
Not a fixed one in the guidance we reviewed. The obligation is to manage noise risk and keep controls effective, so you set a retest interval in your program and add retests after changes. Onboarding, a new protector, a change in noise and a reported hearing change are all sensible triggers.
Who pays for audiometric testing?
The business that provides the hearing protection as a control measure. WorkSafe WA states the employer must provide and pay for the testing, so workers should not be out of pocket.
What should we do if a worker reports ringing in the ears?
Investigate straight away. Check the protector is suitable and undamaged, re-fit and retrain the worker, and review the noise controls. If follow-up testing shows a permanent threshold shift, refer the worker to a specialist for medical assessment.
Sources
Recommended
Comments