Thursday 18 June 2026
Following feedback from Assessors, ReturnToWorkSA has undertaken a review of the Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) template used by accredited Assessors to complete permanent impairment assessments for injured workers.
As outlined in section 3.4.5 of the Impairment Assessor Accreditation Scheme (IAAS), ‘Assessors must provide Assessments and Impairment Assessment Reports in accordance with the Guidelines, the Act and using the relevant ReturnToWorkSA mandatory Impairment Assessment Report template’.
The review has now been finalised. The revised NIHL template (which must be downloaded) is available here:
Whole-Person-Impairment-NIHL-assessment-report-template_June-2026-1.docx
All Assessors accredited in Noise Induced Hearing Loss were consulted earlier in 2026 regarding the proposed revisions.
Feedback received was carefully considered against IAAS requirements to ensure that assessments remain objective, fair, consistent, and of high quality.
The key changes primarily relate to improvements in structure, sequencing, and clarity, rather than the introduction of new requirements.
Key changes include:
- Impairment Assessor Instruction Sheet (Page 9)
An Instruction Sheet has been introduced to support Assessors in completing the template. The Impairment Assessment Report must be completed with reference to this document. Assessors may wish to view it on a separate screen or print it for ease of use. - Improved clarity
Additional guidance has been incorporated, particularly within the History and Impairment sections, to enhance clarity and consistency. - Removal of tick boxes
Tick boxes previously included for conditions that may impact hearing have been removed. These are now addressed within the Instruction Sheet as dot points.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Simon via the details below.
Simon Hynes
Impairment and IME Programs Specialist
Scheme Support
400 King William Street Adelaide SA 5000
08 8238 5787 I 0448 511 774
www.rtwsa.com I simon.hynes@rtwsa.com