You must have a minimum of 6% hearing loss (both ears combined) to make a claim for permanent impairment. Although your hearing loss may not reach 6% you are still entitled to claim the cost of reasonably necessary hearing aids and weekly payments of compensation for loss of income caused by hearing loss, as well as certain hearing tests.

You must lodge a Workers Compensation claim in the same way as you would for any other injury.  A workers compensation claim should be made as soon as possible after you become aware of your hearing loss.

To make a claim:

• The worker must contact the employer, if the workplace is noisy, or the last employer where the workplace was noisy, to make a claim. 
• The worker needs to provide any hearing tests together with a completed Workers Claim form and Permanent Impairment Claim form, available on the website, links below. These documents must be provided to the employer or directly to the employer’s insurer where the employer is no longer in business.

 Workers Compensation Claim Form

 Permanent Impairment Form

 Declaration Form for Replacement Hearing Device or Aid
Publication No. 5901 (PDF format - 119 Kb)

The lump sum payable for hearing loss incurred after 1 January 2002, is based on the percentage of Whole Person Impairment that is determined by a WorkCover-trained Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist through a medical examination.   The amount payable is then specified in the permanent impairment table in the current Benefits Guide.

For hearing loss incurred before 1 January 2002, the Table of Disabilities - Maximums in the current Benefits Guide is used to determine the lump sum amount payable.

A list of WorkCover trained ENT specialists is available at the link below:

  Assessors of Permanent Impairment

Further Information: