WorkSafe Bulletin
Hearing test results in the oil and gas industry:
Low participation rate and evidence of
noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)
Employers in British Columbia must offer a
hearing loss prevention program (HLPP) to all
workers who are exposed to hazardous noise.
This program needs to include annual hearing
tests for workers, which can identify early signs
of permanent hearing loss before it becomes a
significant disability.
The 2014 hearing test results show a concerning
amount of hearing loss amongst workers in the
upstream oil and gas and pipeline construction
industries. This hearing loss appears to be
noise-induced. This bulletin reports some issues
identified by those test results and highlights the
need for changes to the way HLPPs are protecting
workers’ hearing.

Issue #1: Workers show signs of
noise‑induced hearing loss (NIHL)
Our data shows that a low number of B.C. oil
and gas and pipeline construction workers had
a hearing test in 2014, which is a concern. In
addition, of those workers tested, 33 percent
showed signs of NIHL. This is significant because:
•  It’s more than double the 16 percent average for
workers in noisy industries.
•  More than half of those workers are 35 and
under, showing that hearing loss in these
industries is not simply a by-product of aging.

WS 2015-16

Issue #2: Hearing protection worn
is insufficient
While almost 37 percent of workers in the oil
and gas drilling industry show signs of hearing
loss, almost all of them report wearing hearing
protection. This implies that the hearing protection
being worn is not working. There are a few
possibilities to explain this:
•  Workers might be removing their hearing
protection devices (HPDs), or wearing them
incorrectly.
•  Workers might need to be wearing more
protection (e.g., dual HPDs such as ear plugs
and earmuffs).
•  It’s possible that no matter what type of hearing
protection is worn, noise levels are so high that
no combination of HPDs would suffice. If this
is the case, the only option is to implement
engineering controls to reduce the noise levels
or limit the time spent in hazardous noise.

Issue #3: Young workers are not
wearing hearing protection
Many young workers in the oil or gas field
service industry do not wear HPDs: 17 percent
of the 35-and-under group report that they do
not use hearing protection. That figure climbs to
27 percent for the under-21 group.

WorkSafeBC Prevention Information Line: 604.276.3100
or toll-free 1.888.621.SAFE (7233)

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 What employers can do

Resources

The data indicates that simply wearing hearing
protection isn’t enough. Improvements to the
HLPP in the upstream oil and gas and pipeline
construction industries need to be made. In the
interim, there are four measures that employers
should consider:

•  Online publication, Sound Advice: A Guide to
Hearing Loss Prevention Programs, for more
information and suggestions on how to address
these measures.

1.  Identify potential engineering controls to
mitigate risk.

•  WorkSafe Bulletin 2013-02, Occupational
disease hazards in the oil and gas industry
•  Ear Plug instructional poster/handout: When you
use foam ear plugs...

2.  Rotate your workers to different positions so
they spend less time in noisy environments.
3.  Ensure your workers are wearing sufficient
hearing protection, and that they know how to
properly fit and wear their hearing protection.
4.  Ensure that your workers have their hearing
tested and are aware of their hearing test results.

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