Your Hearing, Your Choice: What Every Noise-Exposed Worker Should Know
If you've been exposed to noise at work and your hearing has suffered for it, you have the right to choose your own audiologist — and that choice matters more than most people realise.
In South Australia, workers with noise-induced hearing loss are entitled to a proper independent assessment and, where required, hearing devices to help them communicate and stay connected. But when you search for help, what you're most likely to find first are large national operators with heavy advertising budgets — companies that bundle a hearing assessment, a legal referral, and a device sale into one streamlined package.
That model works well for them. Whether it works well for you is a different question.
What you're actually entitled to
Under ReturnToWorkSA, workers with noise-induced hearing loss are entitled to an independent hearing assessment and, where clinically indicated, hearing devices to help manage their loss. The key word is independent — and that's exactly what most of the TV advertisers are not.
You have the right to choose your own audiologist. You do not have to use the audiologist that comes packaged with a referral from a law firm or a hearing aid retailer. The assessment, the devices, and the ongoing care — these are your choices to make.
What's wrong with the "one-stop shop" model?
The large operators you see advertised on television typically work like this: a law firm or case manager refers you to an affiliated audiologist, who conducts an assessment and recommends hearing devices from a specific manufacturer or supplier. Everyone in that chain has a commercial relationship with everyone else.
That doesn't mean the people involved are bad at their jobs. It means the system they work within isn't designed primarily around your clinical needs — it's designed around volume and referral relationships.
When your audiologist is independent — when they have no commercial relationship with a hearing aid manufacturer, no referral arrangement with a law firm, and no quota to fill — their only interest is in getting you the right outcome for your hearing.
💡 Something most people don't realise: Hearing devices funded through ReturnToWorkSA can be fitted and managed by any registered RTWSA audiologist — not just the one who conducted your initial assessment. If you've already had an assessment elsewhere but aren't happy with the devices or the follow-up care, you can transfer your ongoing care to us.
What the ReturnToWorkSA fact sheet actually says
ReturnToWorkSA publishes a fact sheet specifically for workers about hearing aids and their rights. Most people who go through a TV advertiser never see it. Here's what it actually says — word for word:
"You can choose your clinician. Your choice of clinician has no impact on your claim or right to claim for the hearing services, including the cost of hearing aids. You can change to a different clinician for any reason, at any time."
ReturnToWorkSA — Hearing aids: Information for workers (fact sheet)
"When you require treatment for a work injury, you have the right to choose which individual health practitioners you receive treatment from. Whilst an employer or ReturnToWorkSA may recommend a health practitioner to you, you have the right to choose your own treatment provider."
ReturnToWorkSA — Hearing aids: Information for workers (fact sheet)
"If you are having difficulties with your hearing aids you should contact a clinician of your choice. You do not need to see the same clinician that supplied the hearing aids."
ReturnToWorkSA — Hearing aids: Information for workers (fact sheet)
These are your rights — clearly stated by RTWSA themselves. You don't need to stay with whoever you were referred to. You don't need to use the brand of device a particular provider pushes. And if the hearing care or devices you've received so far haven't been right, you can change.
The full fact sheet is available here: ReturnToWorkSA — Hearing aids: Information for workers (PDF) ↗
What a proper hearing assessment actually involves
A rushed, high-volume hearing screen is not the same as a thorough clinical assessment. Here's what a proper assessment for noise-induced hearing loss should include — and what we do at Adelaide Tinnitus & Hearing Care:
A full clinical history
We take the time to understand your noise exposure history, your symptoms, how your hearing is affecting your daily life, and what matters most to you in terms of communication.
Comprehensive diagnostic testing
Air and bone conduction testing, tympanometry, speech discrimination in quiet and in noise, acoustic reflexes, and where indicated — ultra-high frequency audiometry and otoacoustic emissions (OAE) to detect damage that standard tests can miss.
Tinnitus assessment
Tinnitus is present in the majority of people with noise-induced hearing loss — and it is often the most significant impact on quality of life. We assess it properly, not as an afterthought.
A clear explanation of results
We explain your results in plain language — not just a printout and a handshake. You leave knowing exactly what your hearing looks like and what your options are.
Independent device recommendations
If hearing devices are recommended, we provide independent advice across all major brands — not just the ones a supplier wants us to sell. The right device for you is the one that fits your hearing, your lifestyle, and your daily communication needs.
The tinnitus piece — why it matters
Many people with noise-induced hearing loss also live with tinnitus — a persistent ringing, buzzing, hissing or rushing sound that doesn't go away. For some it's a background inconvenience. For others it affects sleep, concentration, relationships and mental health in ways that are far more disabling than the hearing loss itself.
Tinnitus is frequently underassessed in the WorkCover context because it requires specialist knowledge and time — two things that high-volume processing operations tend not to invest in. At Adelaide Tinnitus & Hearing Care, tinnitus is our core clinical specialty. We assess it thoroughly, we document it properly, and where ongoing management is needed, we provide it.
If you have both hearing loss and tinnitus from noise exposure — both deserve to be properly assessed and addressed. Don't let tinnitus be treated as a footnote.
Why come to Adelaide Tinnitus and Hearing Care?
No law firm partnerships, no hearing aid supplier arrangements, no commercial interests in the outcome of your assessment
Tinnitus is our core specialty — we assess and document it properly so it's fully understood and addressed
A full assessment by an experienced audiologist — not rushed through a high-volume system
We give you honest clinical answers. What you do with them — and who you choose for legal advice — is entirely up to you
Don't go with the first name you saw on TV
Come and see us first. Understand your hearing. Then make your own decisions.
This blog is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For advice specific to your situation, contact ReturnToWorkSA on 13 18 55.
