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DOCUmENT RESUME
05992 - [B1566578]
To Provide Proper Compensation for Hearing I,.airmentse the
Labor Department Should Change Its Criteria. BRD-78-67;
B-157593. June 1, 1978. 26 pp. + 3 appendices (11 pp.).
Ieport to the Congress; by Elmer B. Staats, Ccmpiroller General.
Issue Area: Personnel management and Compensation (300);
Federally Sponsored or Assisted Income Secarity Programs:
Eligibility Determinations (1307).
Contact: Human Resources Div.
Budget Function: Income Security: Federal Employee Retirement
and Disability (602).
Organization Concerned: Department of Labor; National Inst. for
Occupational Safety and Health; Office cf WorkersO
Compensatior Programs; American Academy of Ophthalmology and
Otolaryngology.
Congressional Relevance: Bouse Committee on Education and Labor;
Senate Committee on Human Resources; Congress.
Atthority: Federal Employees' Compensation Act (5 U.S.C. 8101).
Administrtilve Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551; 5 U.S.C. 554).
Millions of American workers have been exposed to
occupational noise levels which may result in hearing
impairment. Federal rivilian employees are covered by the
Federal Employees$ .4mpensation Act which is administered by the
Office of Workers' Compensation Prograds (OCP) in the
Department of Labor. Between 1969 and 1976, about 36,000 claims
for hearing impairment compensation were filed by Federal
civilian employees for a potential liability exceeding $185
million. Findings/Conclusions: most of this liability was due
to Department of Labor modificatiris in 1969 and 1973 of a
generally accepted hearing impa' ment formula developed by the
American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology (AOO) and
endorsed by the American Zedical Association. 1he Act itself
does not specify the criteria to be used in detarmining the
extent of an employee's permanent impairment. It si-cifies that
only 'he permanent portion of an impairment which must -have been
proximately caused by employment qualified fox a scheduleu
award. These factors are often inadequately established and
result in conb deLable overcotpensation. Vhile CUCP regulations
require that coopensation be provided for the full degree of
impairment if the condition was aggravated by the occupational
environment, agency officials have expressed concern as to
whether the employer should be liable for the portion of
impairment that existed before employment. Recommendations: The
Secretary of Labor should have the OVCP immediately ado Pt the
AAOO's formula for determining hearing impairment. Any future
changes in the hearing impairment formula should be be based on
appropriate scientific research and advice from cther Government
agencies and scientific and medical organizations. The OUCP
should employ noise-exposure level standards reccmmended by the](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobaaxhr0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)