Recent changes to workplace health and safety legislation are driving a step-change in how organisations manage hearing health compliance. In Queensland, amendments to the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 now require employers to provide audiometric testing for workers who are required to use hearing protection because noise levels exceed the exposure standard.
For many organisations, audiometry is the initial catalyst for action. But once they begin reviewing how audiometry is managed, it quickly becomes clear that this change exposes a much broader workforce health compliance challenge.
Audiometry Has Become the Compliance Trigger
Across industries such as construction, healthcare, resources, and manufacturing, organisations are reassessing how audiometry is delivered, governed, and integrated into their health surveillance frameworks.
Recent legislative changes have reinforced expectations around:
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Providing audiometric testing for noise-exposed workers
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Establishing baseline and ongoing testing programs
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Maintaining clear records and recall processes
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Being able to demonstrate compliance during audits or regulatory review
While the recent amendments apply specifically to Queensland, they reflect a broader national trend toward increased scrutiny of hearing conservation programs and employer accountability.
The Broader Compliance Gap
Once organisations start reviewing audiometry, a consistent pattern emerges. Hearing tests do not exist in isolation. They sit alongside vaccinations, respirator fit testing, and other health surveillance requirements that are often managed using disconnected systems, spreadsheets, or administrative HR tools.
Common challenges include:
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Inconsistent recall and follow-up for audiometry
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Difficulty verifying non-standard or historical vaccination evidence
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Poor visibility of respirator fit testing completed in-house
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Significant manual effort to prepare for audits
In many cases, compliance technically exists, but it is difficult to demonstrate clearly, consistently, and at scale.
Moving Beyond Point Solutions
Leading organisations are using recent audiometry legislation changes as an opportunity to modernise their broader health compliance framework.
Rather than solving audiometry as a standalone problem, they are moving toward an integrated model that combines:
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Accredited clinical providers for audiometry and health surveillance
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A single digital system of record for compliance
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Clinical verification for complex or exception-based cases
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Automated recalls and audit-ready reporting
Building Compliance That Keeps Pace With Regulation
Legislation will continue to evolve, whether through explicit amendments like those recently introduced in Queensland or through increased enforcement and audit activity.
Organisations that treat audiometry as a trigger rather than an endpoint are better positioned to respond. By aligning clinical delivery with purpose-built compliance technology, they reduce administrative burden, improve governance, and gain confidence that compliance is being actively managed, not reconstructed after the fact.
For many employers, recent audiometry changes are the wake-up call. The organisations that respond best are those that use this moment to build a workforce health compliance framework that is fit for the future.
Legislation Snapshot: Queensland Audiometry Requirements
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Effective 29 July 2025, changes to the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 require audiometric testing for workers exposed to noise above the exposure standard who use PPE.
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Baseline audiometry must be completed within 3 months of exposure, with follow-up testing at least every 2 years.
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Workers already in noise-exposed roles before 29 July 2025 must complete their first audiometric test before 29 July 2027.
Source: New audiometric testing requirements effective 29 July 2025