What should be checked before relying on a WPI figure?
Check maximum medical improvement, the body area, objective findings, the NSW Guideline chapter and any NSW modification before relying on a percentage.
Can this page calculate your percentage?
No. WPI depends on an assessor, maximum medical improvement, objective findings and the NSW Guidelines. This page is general information only.
Permanent impairment assessment
How permanent impairment is assessed for Hearing loss, tinnitus and visual impairment
NSW hearing loss WPI uses the NSW hearing methodology, not generic AMA5 alone. Tinnitus should not be presented as automatically compensable; severe work-related tinnitus may affect the hearing calculation only where the specialist assessment and Guideline criteria support it.
What injuries can happen to this body part?
- Gradual occupational noise-induced hearing loss
- Acute acoustic trauma or head injury causing hearing loss
- Solvent-related or mixed-cause occupational hearing loss where medically supported
- Severe tinnitus associated with work-related hearing injury
- Only-hearing-ear issues or pre-existing non-work hearing loss needing careful apportionment
Symptoms and findings that matter
- Audiology results, noise exposure history and whether industrial deafness is alleged
- ENT or other qualified medical specialist examination and causation opinion
- Binaural hearing impairment under the NAL method and any presbyacusis correction
- Tinnitus severity and whether it is caused by a work-related injury
- Ophthalmology findings, visual acuity, visual fields and causal history where vision is involved
- Whether the impairment is work-related or from another cause
- Whether the correct NSW-specific method has been used
What investigations are usually relevant?
- Treating specialist report and final impairment assessment at maximum medical improvement
- Imaging, pathology, audiology, ophthalmology, respiratory, nerve or functional testing that fits the body system
- Operative reports, discharge summaries, rehabilitation records and objective clinical measurements where relevant
How WPI is assessed for this body part
- NSW hearing loss WPI uses the NSW hearing methodology, not generic AMA5 alone. Tinnitus should not be presented as automatically compensable; severe work-related tinnitus may affect the hearing calculation only where the specialist assessment and Guideline criteria support it.
- Assessment source: NSW Guidelines Chapter 9 hearing. The method uses specialist examination, audiology, NAL binaural hearing impairment calculations, presbyacusis correction where applicable, and Table 9.1 conversion to WPI.
- The assessor should explain maximum medical improvement, the body-system chapter, the method selected, any NSW modification, and why the objective findings fit that method.
How movement affects the assessment
- ROM is not relevant to hearing loss or tinnitus WPI.
- Functional problems such as difficulty hearing instructions, alarms or conversation can support practical claim evidence, but WPI follows the hearing calculation.
NSW hearing loss and tinnitus rules
Specialist assessmentHearing impairment should be assessed by an ENT specialist or other appropriately qualified medical specialist using history, examination, audiology and relevant investigations.
Binaural hearing impairmentNSW uses the NAL method to calculate binaural hearing impairment, with presbyacusis correction where applicable, before conversion to WPI.
Severe tinnitusUp to 5% may be added to the work-related binaural hearing impairment for severe tinnitus caused by a work-related injury before WPI conversion. This is not automatic and depends on specialist assessment.
Hearing aidsPermanent hearing impairment is evaluated when stable and hearing aids must not be worn during hearing sensitivity testing.
Practical WPI examples
- A hearing loss claim needs audiology and exposure evidence, not just a statement that work was noisy.
- Mild tinnitus does not automatically add to impairment. The NSW severe tinnitus addition depends on specialist assessment and is applied to work-related binaural hearing impairment before WPI conversion.
- A worker with mixed age-related and noise-related hearing loss needs medical judgement about non-work contribution.
- A worker who uses hearing aids is still tested without hearing aids for the permanent hearing sensitivity evaluation.
Evidence checklist
- A clear diagnosis and the body area being assessed
- Records showing the condition has reached maximum medical improvement, if that is the issue
- Specialist reports, imaging reports and treating notes relied on by the assessor
- Objective findings on examination, not only symptoms described by the injured person
- A work and treatment chronology explaining the injury, treatment, surgery and recovery path
- Any previous injury, degeneration, congenital issue or non-work cause that needs apportionment considered
- ENT or qualified medical specialist report
- Pure tone audiograms
- Workplace noise or exposure history
- PPE/hearing protection records
- Prior hearing tests
- Tinnitus history and specialist severity opinion
- Evidence of special requirement to hear above 4000 Hz if extension tables are used
What usually does not increase WPI
- Assuming a scan result automatically gives a WPI percentage
- Confusing pain, disability or inability to work with permanent impairment
- Ignoring maximum medical improvement before arranging an assessment
- Using an AMA5 table without checking whether the NSW Guidelines modify or replace it
- Double counting the same impairment through two methods when the Guidelines require one method
- Using general AMA5 assumptions where NSW has a specific hearing approach
- Treating tinnitus as automatic WPI
- Ignoring presbyacusis or non-work hearing loss
- Relying on symptoms without audiology and specialist causation
Assessment source
Assessment source: Assessment source: NSW Guidelines Chapter 9 hearing. The method uses specialist examination, audiology, NAL binaural hearing impairment calculations, presbyacusis correction where applicable, and Table 9.1 conversion to WPI.
This section is source-backed general information. It is not a WPI assessment and is not legal advice.
- SIRA NSW Workers Compensation Guidelines for the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment: Source for the NSW assessment framework, MMI, AMA5 adoption, NSW modifications and exclusions.
- SIRA hearing chapter: Source for NSW hearing-loss assessment method and industrial deafness context.
- SIRA visual system chapter: Source for NSW visual impairment assessment rules.
Related injury and claim pages
- Common injury evidence hub
- Work injury claims NSW
- Claim process
- Compensation and entitlements
- Ask about an impairment issue
- NSW Injury Claim Evidence, Documents and Templates - This library helps injured people organise incident, medical, income, correspondence and daily-impact records into a clear working file, without presenting any checklist or template as an official form.
- NSW Injury Claims by Location - NSW Injury Claims accepts enquiries from across NSW. The claim pathway depends on how the injury happened, while phone, online and electronic document handling can make an initial enquiry possible without creating a false impression of premises in every region.
- Vision Impairment WPI Assessment NSW - Hearing and vision permanent impairment assessment guide with NSW Guideline source notes.
Need a practical claim check?
If an impairment percentage, medical assessment or insurer decision is affecting your NSW injury claim, send the decision or report for a practical review. This is general information only and does not guarantee any result.
Request a free claim checkAssessment scope for Tinnitus WPI Assessment
The assessment scope for Tinnitus WPI Assessment should be stated precisely before any percentage is considered. The file should identify whether that label describes the primary diagnosed condition, a symptom of another injury, a regional overview or one component of a broader impairment. Findings from another body area or diagnosis should not be transferred without explanation. The report should connect the stated condition to the correct NSW Guideline chapter, objective findings, treatment history and any permitted combination or apportionment method. This distinction is particularly important where similar page labels cover different clinical questions.
- Confirm the diagnosis and body area being assessed as Tinnitus
- Separate condition-specific findings from overlapping symptoms or injuries in another body area
- Check that the selected NSW Guideline chapter and method match the condition actually assessed
- Explain any combination, apportionment or exclusion rather than relying on the page label alone
Clinical boundary for this WPI guide
Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external source and should not be treated as another name for measured hearing loss. The file should record onset, laterality, persistence, clinical investigation and functional effect, together with any associated hearing or vestibular condition. Because tinnitus is largely reported by the person, consistency and specialist history are important. Any hearing-loss assessment should remain identifiable as a separate issue.
- Record whether tinnitus is unilateral or bilateral and constant or intermittent
- Keep ENT, audiology and relevant imaging or investigation records
- Describe sleep, concentration and communication effects without promising a rating
- Separate tinnitus evidence from measured hearing loss and vestibular symptoms
Start with maximum medical improvement
Permanent impairment should generally be assessed when the condition is stable and unlikely to change substantially in the next year. Treatment, surgery and rehabilitation history may affect whether the timing is appropriate.
Use the NSW Guidelines first
The NSW Guidelines adopt AMA5 in many areas, but NSW modifications prevail. Do not assume an AMA5 table applies without checking the NSW chapter and any public SIRA clarification.
Keep the assessment practical
A useful assessment file separates diagnosis, objective findings, surgery history, work capacity issues, apportionment questions and the body-area method used by the assessor.
Ask about an impairment issueDocuments and records
Injury evidence to organise early
The useful records depend on how the injury happened, when symptoms were recorded and how treatment or work capacity changed.
- Date, location and short description of the injury event
- Medical certificates, reports, scans, treatment records or hospital documents
- Employer, insurer, police, incident or venue records where relevant
- Photos, witness details, dashcam or other supporting material if available
- Income, superannuation, work capacity or leave records where relevant
- Letters, emails, claim numbers and decisions already received
Common questions
Injury evidence questions
Short general answers only. The right next step depends on the facts, dates and documents.
Is WPI the same as being unable to work?
No. WPI is a medical impairment measure. Work capacity, weekly payments, damages, treatment disputes and TPD issues are separate questions, although the evidence may overlap.
Does pain alone create a WPI percentage?
Not by itself. NSW workers compensation excludes AMA5 Chapter 18 on pain. Chronic pain is assessed through the underlying diagnosed condition where the Guidelines permit it.
Can secondary psychological symptoms be added to physical WPI?
In NSW workers compensation, secondary psychiatric or psychological impairment is not assessed as permanent impairment. Primary psychological impairment is assessed separately and is not combined with physical WPI.
Injury pathway enquiry
Not sure which claim type matches the injury?
Start with how the injury happened, what medical records exist and how work or daily activity has changed. The same injury can sit in different pathways.