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Key Takeaways
Anyone regularly exposed at or above 85 dB(A) a day, or a 137 dB(C) peak, judged without counting hearing protection. HSE guidance also covers occasional exposure above 85 dB(A) where controls may fail, and people at particular risk exposed between 80 and 85 dB(A).
A baseline test before exposure or as soon as possible after it starts, then once a year for the first two years and every three years after that. The occupational health professional can test more often if a change shows up.
They are a guide: Category 1 acceptable hearing ability, 2 mild hearing loss, 3 significant hearing loss or new or progressive NIHL, and 4 rapid hearing loss. Categories 3 and 4 lead to a referral, and only a doctor confirms a diagnosis.
Not your audiogram, which stays confidential with the health professional. Your employer receives fitness-for-work information and test dates, and audiometric results only if you consent.
Your employer pays. Regulation 9(5) of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 says employees attend health surveillance during working hours at the employer’s cost.
At least as long as the employee stays with that employer. HSE says the employer may keep the record longer and should offer a copy when the employee leaves.
A workplace hearing test is a routine check, not an exam. Under Regulation 9 of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, employers must arrange one for anyone whose noise exposure puts their hearing at risk. The result shows whether the noise controls and hearing protection on site are doing their job.
UK occupational health leaflets put the worker’s biggest worry to rest in one line: you cannot fail a hearing test. HSE estimates that around 15,000 workers in Great Britain have work-related hearing problems (Labour Force Survey, 2022/23 to 2024/25). Health surveillance exists to pick up early changes across a workforce, long before anyone would notice them in daily life.
At Bollsen, we are a hearing protection company founded in 2016 and trusted by 1,000,000+ people, and many people booked for a test already wear earplugs for work every shift. Our earplugs for work range covers the sites, workshops and factory floors where these noise checks take place.
Who needs a workplace hearing test?
A workplace hearing test is required for anyone with regular and frequent exposure at or above the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A) a day or a 137 dB(C) peak, according to HSE guidance L108, with the risk judged without counting the noise reduction from hearing protection. Weekly exposures that sit mostly above 85 dB(A) count too.
L108 adds two more groups. One is people occasionally exposed above 85 dB(A) where there is reason to doubt the controls on a given day. The other is people at particular risk, such as those with existing hearing loss, certain medication or exposure to certain chemicals, whose daily exposure sits between 80 and 85 dB(A).
Some employers go further and test everyone above the 80 dB(A) lower exposure action value. That is good practice rather than the legal minimum, and it gives a wider picture of how noise is managed across a site.
What does Regulation 9 require?
Regulation 9 of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 requires employers to place at-risk employees under suitable health surveillance, which must include testing of their hearing, and to keep a health record for each person under it. The full wording is on legislation.gov.uk.
The exposure values in Regulation 4 decide who falls in scope, so the 80, 85 and 87 dB(A) figures matter here. Our worker’s guide to the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 sets out each exposure value, peak level and worker entitlement in plain English.
The employer arranges the programme through a competent occupational health provider, and Regulation 9(5) says workers attend during working hours at the employer’s cost. Health surveillance is one of several employer hearing protection duties, and our guide to employer hearing protection duties covers each one, from the noise risk assessment to training.
How often are workplace hearing tests done?
Workplace hearing tests start with a baseline audiogram taken before exposure or as soon as possible after it begins, followed by a test once a year for the first two years and then every three years, with earlier checks if a change is found or the risk is high. The schedule is set out in paragraph 262 of HSE L108, Controlling noise at work.
The baseline matters because every later audiogram is compared with it. HSE’s health surveillance for noise page notes that checks can begin at any time, so a long-serving worker who has never been tested simply starts with a baseline now.
| Who | When | Frequency | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular, frequent exposure at or above 85 dB(A) a day, or peaks at or above 137 dB(C) | Baseline before exposure, or as soon as possible after it starts | Yearly for the first 2 years, then every 3 years | Health record kept at least as long as the employee stays; audiogram held in confidence by occupational health |
| Occasional exposure above 85 dB(A) where controls may not be effective | As soon as the risk assessment identifies it | Same schedule, set by the occupational health professional | Same health record; fitness-for-work outcome only |
| People at particular risk exposed between 80 and 85 dB(A) | As soon as the risk is identified | Same schedule, or more often if advised | Same health record; copy offered on leaving |
| Anyone whose audiogram shows a change (Category 2 to 4) | After the result is reviewed | Earlier repeat test or referral, as advised | Outcome recorded as fitness-for-work information |
What happens during a workplace hearing test?
A workplace hearing test is usually a pure tone audiometry check, in which a trained tester plays tones through headphones in a quiet room or booth and records the quietest level heard at each frequency from 0.5 to 8 kHz. You press a button or raise a hand each time you hear a tone.
It normally begins with a short questionnaire about noise history, past ear problems and loud hobbies such as shooting or live music. The tester then looks in each ear with an otoscope to check for wax that could affect the reading.
Your provider may ask you to avoid loud noise for a while beforehand. That is so the test records your settled hearing rather than a temporary dip after a noisy shift, which audiologists call temporary threshold shift.
What do the HSE hearing test categories 1 to 4 mean?
The HSE categorisation scheme in L108 Appendix 4 places each audiogram in one of four categories by adding the hearing levels at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 kHz for each ear and comparing the total with a table for the person’s age and gender. Each category comes with a next step.
- Category 1, acceptable hearing ability: the next test happens at the usual interval.
- Category 2, mild hearing loss: the occupational health professional considers an earlier repeat test.
- Category 3, significant hearing loss or new or progressive NIHL: referral for medical advice.
- Category 4, rapid hearing loss: a change of 30 dB or more across 3, 4 and 6 kHz within three years or less, also referred.
L108 describes the scheme as only a guide, not a verdict, and a diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss can only be confirmed by a doctor. A separate check compares the two ears at 1 to 4 kHz, and a difference of more than 40 dB leads to advice and a referral, because one-sided changes can have causes other than noise.
Who sees the results, and how long are records kept?
The audiogram is medical-in-confidence and stays with the occupational health professional, while the employer receives only fitness-for-work information and test dates, plus audiometric results if the employee consents. That split answers the most common worry in occupational health leaflets, which is whether a manager will see the detail.
The employer keeps a separate health record with identity details, noise exposure history and the fitness-for-work outcome, but no personal medical information. L108 paragraph 272 says it should be kept for at least as long as the employee remains in that employment, may be kept longer because hearing questions can arise years later, and it is good practice to offer a copy when the employee leaves. Some employers also offer a final hearing test when someone moves on.
What happens if a test shows a change?
If a workplace hearing test identifies a change, Regulation 9(3) requires the employee to be told by a doctor or occupational health professional, and the employer must review the risk assessment, look again at noise controls, consider alternative work and keep up health surveillance. The employer must also review the health of colleagues exposed to similar noise.
A flagged result is a signal about the workplace as much as the person. It is how health surveillance finds out that a machine has got louder, a quieter tool is overdue or protection is not being fitted properly across a team.
Testers track how hearing loss develops across a workforce because noise-related changes usually build slowly and without pain. Our guide to how hearing loss develops explains the main types, the terms an audiologist uses and what sets noise-related change apart.
How is a workplace hearing test different from an NHS hearing test?
A workplace hearing test is health surveillance run for the employer to monitor noise risk, whereas an NHS hearing test is a clinical assessment anyone can ask for, free through a GP referral. L108 paragraph 104 confirms that workplace testing does not stop anyone using the NHS.
The audiometry can look similar, but the purpose is different. We cover the high-street and NHS appointment itself in our separate guide to what happens at a hearing test.
Speak to your GP or occupational health if you have concerns about your hearing. The NHS hearing tests page explains how to get a free test, and sudden hearing loss in one or both ears needs an urgent GP appointment or a call to NHS 111. HSE’s guidance on health surveillance is set out in L108, Controlling noise at work (3rd edition, 2021).
What can you do between workplace hearing tests?
Between tests, the routine that keeps each audiogram comparable with the baseline is consistent protection: wear it every time you enter a hearing protection zone at or above 85 dB(A), fit it properly and keep it in for the whole time you are exposed. Short gaps add up, because every 3 dB rise doubles the sound energy reaching the ear.
We look at how unprotected minutes build into a daily noise dose in our guide on what happens if you don’t wear hearing protection at work. Fit is the other half of the routine, and our step-by-step guide on how to put earplugs in and check the fit shows the roll, pull and seal check for foam and reusable plugs.
For a reusable option, WorkPRO earplugs are low-profile, so ear defenders fit over the top. Our WorkPRO earplugs (SNR 24 dB, £29.95) are passive silicone plugs tested to EN 352-2, rated H 24 / M 21 / L 19, with attenuation that rises with frequency. A loud warning stays audible through them because it is loud, not because a filter passes it through.
Questionnaires often ask about ringing after noise, and our hub on hearing protection and tinnitus explains how earplugs fit a quieter routine for anyone who wants to protect their hearing from further noise exposure. The same habit of a consistent, well-seated fit applies whatever the reason for wearing them.
A workplace hearing test is a routine part of working in noise: a baseline, two yearly checks, then one every three years, with the audiogram kept confidential and the categories used as a guide rather than a grade. If your job puts you at or above 85 dB(A) and you have never been tested, ask your supervisor or safety representative when your baseline is due.
Between appointments, the part you control is the daily routine of wearing protection properly in every noisy task. Small habits on each shift are what keep the comparison with your baseline meaningful year after year.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.