Health surveillance, in the form of hearing checks, must be provided for any staff:
- Who may be regularly exposed at or above the Upper Exposure Action Value;
- Who may be regularly exposed at or above the Lower Exposure Action Value (lower frequency than those exposed at or above the Upper Exposure Action Value); or
- Suffering from hearing loss or are particularly sensitive to hearing damage.
The purpose of health surveillance is to:
- Give warning of employees who might be suffering from early signs of hearing damage
- Provide opportunities for action to be taken to prevent the situation getting worse and
- Ensure that any controls in place are working
This surveillance normally consists of:
- Regular hearing checks in controlled conditions
- Informing employees of the results of these checks
- Keeping relevant records and
- Ensuring that employees are seen by a doctor where hearing damage is identified
Health surveillance will be carried out by or arranged by the Occupational Health Centre at the STFC site, or where this does not exist by a GP or alternative providers.
