Iowa Admin. Code r. 876-8.11
Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 10, November 13, 2024
Rule 876-8.11 - Apportionment of age-related loss for occupational hearing loss claims(1)Effective date. This rule is effective for claims for occupational hearing loss filed on or after July 1, 1998.(2)Purpose. The purposes of this rule are to adopt tables and the method for calculating age-related hearing loss and to adopt a worksheet for apportionment of age-related hearing loss for occupational hearing loss claims.(3)Table. In 1972 the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published the Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Noise (NIOSH Publication No.73-11001). Table B-1, page I-16, provides the Age Corrections Values to be Used for Age Correction of Initial Baseline Audiograms for Males and Table B-2, page I-17, provides the Age Corrections Values to be Used for Age Correction of Initial Baseline Audiograms for Females. These NIOSH tables are used to calculate the correction value for age for males and females for 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 hertz. For example, the age correction for a male 21 years of age is 10 decibels at 500 hertz, 5 decibels at 1000 hertz, 3 decibels at 2000 hertz and 4 decibels at 3000 hertz. The correction for age is 5.50 decibels (the sum of 10+5+3+4 divided by 4).
The following table is to be used to determine an employee's age-related change in hearing level during the period of employment. To determine the age-related change in hearing level in decibels during the period of employment, subtract the value shown in the table for the employee's age at the beginning of employment from the value shown in the table for the employee's age on the date of injury.
Note: This table should not be used to compute standard threshold shift as required by rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or Iowa occupational safety and health administration.
Age in Years | Correction in dB |
Males | Females |
20 or younger | 5.50 | 7.25 |
21 | 5.50 | 7.75 |
22 | 5.50 | 7.75 |
23 | 5.50 | 8.00 |
24 | 5.75 | 8.00 |
25 | 6.00 | 8.25 |
26 | 6.25 | 8.50 |
27 | 6.50 | 8.75 |
28 | 6.75 | 8.75 |
29 | 6.75 | 8.75 |
30 | 6.75 | 9.00 |
31 | 7.25 | 9.25 |
32 | 7.50 | 9.50 |
33 | 7.50 | 9.75 |
34 | 7.75 | 9.75 |
35 | 8.00 | 10.00 |
36 | 8.25 | 10.25 |
37 | 8.75 | 10.25 |
38 | 8.75 | 10.50 |
39 | 9.00 | 11.00 |
40 | 9.00 | 11.00 |
41 | 9.25 | 11.25 |
42 | 10.00 | 11.50 |
43 | 10.25 | 11.75 |
44 | 10.25 | 12.00 |
45 | 10.50 | 12.25 |
46 | 10.75 | 12.50 |
47 | 11.00 | 12.50 |
48 | 11.50 | 13.00 |
49 | 12.00 | 13.25 |
50 | 12.25 | 13.50 |
51 | 12.25 | 13.75 |
52 | 12.75 | 13.75 |
53 | 13.25 | 14.25 |
54 | 13.50 | 14.50 |
55 | 14.00 | 15.00 |
56 | 14.25 | 15.00 |
57 | 14.50 | 15.25 |
58 | 15.25 | 15.75 |
59 | 15.50 | 16.00 |
60 or older | 16.00 | 16.25 |
(4)Apportionment. The apportionment of age-related hearing loss shall be made by reducing the total binaural percentage hearing loss as calculated pursuant to Iowa Code section 85B.9(3) by the same percentage as the decibels of age-related change in hearing level occurring during the period of employment bears to the total decibel hearing level in each ear. Age-related hearing loss is apportioned using the results of the audiogram determined to be the proper audiogram for measurement of the employee's hearing loss on the date of injury by using the following steps:
1. Separately for each ear, compute the average of the employee's decibel hearing levels at 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 hertz for that ear.2. Separately for each ear, compute the percentage loss for each ear.3. Compute the employee's age-related change in hearing level in decibels during the period of employment using the table in subrule 8.10(3).4. Separately for each ear, divide the result of step 3 by the result of step 1 to compute the age-correction factor for that ear.5. Separately for each ear, multiply the total percentage hearing loss in that ear calculated pursuant to Iowa Code section 85B.9 by the age-correction factor for that ear.6. Separately for each ear, subtract the result obtained in step 5 from the total percentage hearing loss in that ear to obtain the age-corrected hearing loss for that ear.7. Multiply the age-corrected hearing loss in the better ear as calculated in step 6 by 5 and add the percentage hearing loss in the worse ear.8. Divide the result obtained in step 7 by 6 to obtain the age-corrected binaural percentage hearing loss.Iowa Admin. Code r. 876-8.11
Adopted by IAB December 20, 2017/Volume XL, Number 13, effective 1/24/2018Amended by IAB February 8, 2023/Volume XLV, Number 16, effective 3/15/2023