Occupational Hearing Loss Policy 21-112 | Effective Date: December 10, 2025

Policy

WorkSafeNB uses section 7 of the Workers’ Compensation Act (WC Act) and Policy 21-100 Conditions for Entitlement – General Principles to adjudicate all claims for compensation, including claims for hearing loss.

Hearing loss is considered an occupational disease when it is caused by industrial trauma (acute) or noise- induced hearing loss due to excessive levels of noise in the workplace.

When WorkSafeNB receives claims for hearing loss, it considers the extent to which the worker’s employment in New Brunswick may have contributed to the hearing loss. When WorkSafeNB determines that the hearing loss was not caused by employment in New Brunswick, the worker is not entitled to compensation.

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) does not arise out of and in the course of employment as required by the WC Act, and therefore no entitlement to compensation exists in these instances.

Interpretation

Traumatic (acute) hearing loss

1. Traumatic (acute) hearing loss is the sudden loss of hearing due to an isolated incident of a sudden burst of sound (such as an explosion) or injury to hearing (acoustic trauma) due to events such as:

• Head or skull injury;
• Chemicals or other substances entering the ear canal; or
• Barometric pressure changes.

2. The date of accident/disablement for traumatic (acute) hearing loss claims is the date of the isolated event causing the hearing loss.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)

3. Applications for compensation must be made within one year of the date of accident. For occupational diseases, this is one year from the date of disablement. According to the ACOEM, disablement from noise-induced hearing loss occurs during the period of exposure (increasing most rapidly in the first 10 to 15 years of exposure and then decelerates).

4. Therefore, the date of disablement (accident) is the earlier of:

• Date of an audiogram which shows evidence of noise-induced hearing loss; or
• Last exposure to noise in the workplace at a level and duration significant enough to have caused the hearing loss.

5. In the absence of evidence of last exposure to noise in the workplace as required in Section 4 of this policy:

• For those workers still employed in a noise-exposed workplace, the date of last exposure is considered to be the date of application for benefits; and
• For those workers no longer working in a noise-exposed workplace, the date of last exposure will be considered to be the last date the worker worked in the noise-exposed workplace.

6. The WC Act has specific time frames for reporting and applying for hearing loss. The WC Act also provides authority to WorkSafeNB to determine if a delay in doing such is justified. For more information, see Policy 21-106 Accident Reporting and Application for Benefits.

Persuasive evidence of occupational NIHL 

7. WorkSafeNB determines eligibility for NIHL by using the preponderance of evidence, meaning that the NIHL is more likely than not to have been caused by employment. WorkSafeNB considers persuasive evidence such as:

• Noise exposure averaging over 85 dB(A) for eight hours per day, for a minimum of two years, or the equivalent;
• Hearing loss greater than 25 dB for at least one test frequency within the 3000 Hz to 6000 Hz frequency range;
• A pattern of hearing loss consistent with the medical characteristics of noise-induced hearing loss as outlined in the ACOEM Guidance Statement, including:
  • It is sensorineural;
  • Hearing loss is usually in both ears, unless there is evidence of unilateral exposure;
  • Its first sign is a notching of the audiogram at high frequencies of 3000, 4000, or 6000 Hertz (Hz) with recovery at 8000 Hz. The hearing test must be performed at all frequencies from 250 to 8000 Hz;
  • It almost never produces a loss greater than 75 decibels in high frequencies, and 40 decibels in lower frequencies.

8. In addition to the persuasive evidence above, WorkSafeNB weighs all available evidence including: the use of hearing protection, evidence of noise conservation programs in the workplace, and audiograms or other testing or screening measures conducted by employers and healthcare providers.

NIHL-related tinnitus

9. Tinnitus caused by NIHL may be accepted as a secondary injury if:

• The worker has an accepted NIHL claim; and
• There is a medically confirmed history of two or more years of continuous tinnitus.

Medical aid

10. For accepted NIHL claims, medical aid may be in the form of a hearing aid.

11. Workers are responsible for the day-to-day care and maintenance of the hearing aid.          

12. WorkSafeNB determines the need to replace a hearing aid based on evidence, however WorkSafeNB will not replace hearing aids more than once every five years, unless medically necessary as determined by WorkSafeNB.

Permanent physical impairment

13. WorkSafeNB evaluates injured workers for a permanent physical impairment (PPI) award resulting from hearing loss using Policy 21-250 Permanent Physical Impairment.

14. Reassessment for permanent physical impairment will only be considered where there has been continued exposure to hazardous noise levels at the place of employment or, where tinnitus caused by NIHL has been accepted as part of the claim.

 Previous versions

• Non-substantive change to release 4 made on  June 6, 2025, 2025 to reflect repeal of Regulation 82-165 resulting from a legislative amendment to the WC Act
• Occupational Hearing Loss release 4, effective September 26, 2018
• Occupational Hearing Loss release 3, effective September 29, 2016