Pre-employment hearing threshold levels of 59,601 Australian male coal miners compared to an otologically normal international male population (ISO7029:2019).

Objective: This study compared the pre-employment median hearing threshold level (HTL) distribution from a population of coal miners from New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to an otologically normal, age-matched population described by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) ISO 7029:2019, to determine any differences.

Design: This was an observational, retrospective, repeated cross-sectional study.

Study Sample: De-identified audiometric records of 59,601 male employees entering NSW coal mining in three representative five-year periods between 1991 and 2015 were utilised.

Hearing threshold levels of Australian coal mine workers: a retrospective cross-sectional study of 64196 audiograms.

Objective: This study examined the hearing threshold levels (HTL) of workers commencing employment in Australian coal mines in the State of New South Wales (NSW). The aim was to establish if some degree of hearing loss was identifiable in the mandatory pre-employment audiograms of workers.

Design: This was an observational, retrospective, repeated cross-sectional study.