Osicus User Guide V8
09/09/2021
Page
34
of
46
9.
Categorisation of Results
– H&SE Categories
The Osicus program controls the acquisition of an audiogram, along with t
he employee’s
details,
stores them in a file and displays them in the Results box on the audiogram screen and on the
printout. It is therefore appropriate and easy that the program should also determine the Health
and Safety Executive (H&SE) categorisations for the current audiogram, and display them in a similar
way.
The Osicus testing program uses the categorisation scheme which was introduced in the year 2006
by the H&SE, and this implementation is described here.
The H&SE have done extensive analyses of the prevalence of Industrial Hearing Loss and its
relationship to the threshold levels in an e
mployee’s audiogram. Based on the results o
f these
analyses, the H&SE have drawn up tables of threshold levels above which Warnings or Referrals
should be made.
These tables are used in the Osicus program to perform HSE Categorisation on an audiogram
produced from hearing tests.
Classification of hearing levels into warning and referral levels.
Referrals to a General Practitioner or to a hospital audiology clinic are made in cases of poor
hearing, when the thresholds are above the levels indicated in the Referral table below.
Warnings are given to the employee when the thresholds indicate mild hearing impairment, as
indicated in the H&SE Warning table below
. These levels indicate that the employee’s hearing is not
as good as might be expected at his/her age. The warnings state that greater care should be taken to
use appropriate protective devices when working in a noisy environment.
For further guidance to the operator and as a further explanation to the employee, two dotted lines
are drawn on each of the audiogram grids, both on the screen and on the printout. These indicate
the approximate level for Referral and for Warning.
The H&SE recommend that each audiogram should be put into one of four categories, based on the
threshold levels in the audiogram, and the age and sex of the employee. The frequencies normally
used for this assessment are 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6kHz.
Sum of hearing levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 kHz
Age
Males
Females
Warning Level Referral Level Warning
Level
Referral Level
18‐24
51
95
46
78
25‐29
67
113
55
91
30‐34
82
132
63
105
35‐39
100
154
71
119
40‐44
121
183
80
134
45‐49
142
211
93
153
50‐54
165
240
111
176
55‐59
190
269
131
204
60‐64
217
296
157
235
65+
235
311
175
255
