[Determination of the onset of occupational hearing loss]

The paper examines the different aspects of the diagnosis of noise induced hearing disability and handicap. In the author's opinion a diagnosis of this kind can be made only if both an occupational acoustic trauma and a hearing disability or handicap are present. An occupational acoustic trauma can be considered to be present if the subject works in a noisy environment, if there are no auditory diseases other than of occupational origin, and if the audiometric threshold is neurosensorial, bilateral, more elevated at the higher frequencies and higher than the threshold of subjects on the same age but not exposed to industrial noise. On the other hand, the authors deem that there is a loss of hearing function when hearing disability and handicap are present according to the WHO definition. An experimental model is proposed that will establish the presence of hearing disability and handicap.