Belte r r a Cor p or at ion S afety M an ual D oc I D C H S M BE L 2 0 1 7 Pa g e 1 93 of 53 8 Doc u m e n t Identif icat ion S E L 022 P age Nu m b e r 6 of 7 Doc u m e n t C r e ation Dat e Ma y 10 2011 Im p le m e n tat ion Dat e o n Re vised Doc u m e n t F e bru a r y 2 2016 7 A N N U A L H E A R I N G T E S T S Oc c upa ti ona l h e a rin g los s is one of the lea din g c a use s of w ork re late d diso rde rs B e c a use oc c upa ti o na l he a rin g loss ha ppe ns gra dua ll y ove rtime w orke rs ofte n fa il to not ice c h a n g e s in t he ir h e a rin g a bil it y unti l a r e lativel y l a r g e c h a nge oc c urs B y c ompar i ng a udiom e tri c tests fr o m y e a r to y e a r e a rl y c ha ng e s c a n be d e tec ted a nd a ppr opria te pr ote c ti ve mea sur e s im pleme nted to pr e ve nt fur ther da ma ge P ROVIN CE F REQ UENC Y O F AU DIOM E T RIC T E S T IN G S AB W he re a wor k e r is or ma y be e x pose d to ex c e ss noi se the w orke r sha ll ha ve a ba se li ne a udio g r a m as so on a s pra c ti c a ble but no late r tha n si x mont hs a fte r the star t of e mpl o y m e nt Additi ona l t e sts a re re qui re d 12 mont hs a fte r th e b a se li ne test a nd e v e r y tw o y e a rs the r e a fte r BC W he re wor ke rs a r e e x pose d to noi se that e x c e e ds noise e x posure li mi ts i ni t ial he a rin g test mus t be g ive n a s soon as pr a c ti c a ble a fte r e mpl o y ment st a rts b ut not late r tha n 6 mont hs a fte r the sta rt of e mpl o y m e nt Audiometr ic testing must be c onduc ted a t l e a st on c e e v e r y 12 mont hs a fte r the ini ti a l t e st ON He a rin g test shoul d take plac e a nnu a ll y unl e ss wo rke rs a re e x pose d to ver y hig h noise in e x posure of 10 5 dB a nd g r e a te r I n thi s c a se he a rin g tests shoul d b e c onduc ted onc e e v e r y 6 mont hs SK Empl o y e rs sh a ll a rr a n g e to have he a ring t e sts be a va il a ble to wor ke rs w ho a re