{"id":"F2005B01745","name":"Statement of Principles concerning tinnitus No. 25 of 2001","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-tinnitus-no-25-of-2001","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":112179,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2005B01745-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Inclusion of Statements of Principles","sectionType":"part","heading":"Inclusion of Statements of Principles","content":"## Inclusion of Statements of Principles\n\n7. In this Statement of Principles if a relevant factor applies and that factor includes an injury or disease in respect of which there is a Statement of Principles then the factors in that last mentioned Statement of Principles apply in accordance with the terms of that Statement of Principles.\n\nOther definitions\n\n8. For the purposes of this Statement of Principles:\n\n“adequate ear protection” means a device which plugs the outer ear canal or which covers the outside of the ear so as to protect the wearer from harmful noise;\n\n“an ototoxic drug from the specified list” means one of the following:\n\n(a) \\-difluromethylornithine;\n\n(b) 6-amino nicotinamide;\n\n(c) Amikacin;\n\n(d) Bumetanide;\n\n(e) Cisplatin;\n\n(f) Erythromycin;\n\n(g) Ethacrynic acid;\n\n(h) Frusemide;\n\n(i) Gentamicin;\n\n(j) Kanamycin;\n\n(k) Misonidazole;\n\n(l) Neomycin;\n\n(m) Netilmicin;\n\n(n) Nitrogen Mustard;\n\n(o) Streptomycin;\n\n(p) Tobramycin;\n\n(q) Vancomycin;\n\n(r) Vinblastine;\n\n(s) Vincristine; or\n\n(t) Viomycin;\n\n \n“a source of vascular sound” means one of the following:\n\n(a) acquired arteriovenous fistulae;\n\n(b) benign intracranial hypertension;\n\n(c) carotid occlusion;\n\n(d) carotid stenosis;\n\n(e) cerebral atherosclerosis;\n\n(f) glomus jugulare tumour;\n\n(g) intracranial aneurysm; or\n\n(h) Paget’s disease of the skull;\n\n“death from tinnitus” in relation to a person includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person’s tinnitus;\n\n“ICD-10-AM code” means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Second Edition, effective date of 1 July 2000, copyrighted by the National Centre for Classification in Health, Sydney, NSW, and having ISBN 1 86487 271 3;\n\n“impulsive noise” means noise which is characterised by a sharp rise and a rapid decay in sound levels and is less than one second in duration;\n\n“intracranial neoplasm” means a neoplasm affecting the brain, meninges, skull or cranial nerves;\n\n“Meniere’s disease” means a clinical condition characterised by fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, a sense of fullness in the involved ear associated with recurring attacks of rotational vertigo of sudden onset, often associated with nausea and vomiting;\n\n“otosclerosis” means a primary disorder of the labyrinthine capsule, characterised by new bone formation commonly involving the footplate of the stapes;\n\n“relevant service” means:\n\n(a) operational service; or\n\n(b) peacekeeping service; or\n\n(c) hazardous service;\n\n“sensorineural hearing loss” means a permanent hearing threshold shift of 25 decibels (dB) or more, at 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000 or 4000 hertz (Hz) due to a defect in the cochlea or the auditory nerve, but excluding congenital deafness;\n\n“terminal event” means the proximate or ultimate cause of death and includes:\n\n(a) pneumonia;\n\n(b) respiratory failure;\n\n(c) cardiac arrest;\n\n(d) circulatory failure; or\n\n(e) cessation of brain function;\n\n“trauma to the auditory apparatus” means injury to the tympanic membrane, ear ossicles, cochlea or acoustic nerve caused by trauma to the head;\n\n“time-weighted average (TWA) with 3‑dB exchange rate” means the time-weighted average noise exposure level calculated according to the following formulae and shown in the table:\n\nTWA = 10.0  Log(D/100) + 85\n\nwhere D = daily dose; and\n\nD = \\[ C1/T1 + C2/T2 + …..+ Cn/Tn\\]  100\n\nwhere Cn = total time of exposure at a specified noise level,\n\nTn = exposure duration for which noise at this level becomes hazardous\n\n \nTable of noise exposure levels and\n\ndurations based on 3-dBA exchange rate\n\n```html\n

Duration, T

Duration, T

Exposure

Level, L

(dBA)

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Exposure

Level, L

(dBA)

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

80

25

24

106

3

45

81

20

10

107

2

59

82

16

108

2

22

83

12

42

109

1

53

84

10

5

110

1

29

85

8

111

1

11

86

6

21

112

56

87

5

2

113

45

88

4

114

35

89

3

10

115

28

90

2

31

116

22

91

2

117

18

92

1

35

118

14

93

1

16

119

11

94

1

120

9

95

47

37

121

7

96

37

48

122

6

97

30

123

4

98

23

49

124

3

99

18

59

125

3

100

15

126

2

101

11

54

127

1

102

9

27

128

1

103

7

30

129

1

104

5

57

130-140

<1

105

4

43

\n```\n\nSource: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health 1998 Guidelines\n\nPublication No. 98-126\n\nApplication\n\n9. This Instrument applies to all matters to which section 120A of the Act applies.\n\nDated this First day of May 2001\n\nThe Common Seal of the )\n\nRepatriation Medical Authority )\n\nwas affixed to this instrument )\n\nin the presence of: )\n\nKEN DONALD\n\nCHAIRMAN","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument itself confines application to 'matters to which section 120A of the Act applies' (s.9) and provides definitions and technical thresholds (s.7–s.8). It does not on its face expand or reduce that statutory scope or amend other instruments; no express change of scope from original statutory intent is indicated within the text."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive technical definitions in one provision (s.8) — medical terms (Meniere’s disease, otosclerosis, intracranial neoplasm, sensorineural hearing loss) increase medical-expert reliance.","Long enumerated list of named ototoxic drugs (s.8) requiring cross-checking of treatment histories.","Detailed noise‑exposure formula and large tabular thresholds (TWA, 3 dB exchange rate) (s.8) — technical calculation burden for claimants and assessors.","Cross‑references to other Statements of Principles where relevant (s.7) — creates layered dependency on separate instruments.","Reference to external classification (ICD‑10‑AM code) (s.8) — reliance on an external coding standard for diagnosis identification.","Narrow legal application clause pointing to section 120A of the Act (s.9) — requires users to consult the Act to know the instrument’s reach."],"plain_english_summary":"Sets the medical and exposure rules used to decide whether tinnitus is covered for matters to which section 120A of the Act applies. Mechanically, it supplies precise definitions, a list of named ototoxic drugs and vascular causes, and a noise‑exposure calculation (TWA with a 3 dB exchange rate) with a detailed table.\n\nIt affects people and claims governed by section 120A because those technical thresholds and lists determine how tinnitus is attributed, what evidence is needed, and how medical assessors and applicants must behave."},"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-realtime","completionTokens":1177},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This appears to be the original 2001 instrument establishing principles for tinnitus specifically. The scope is appropriately limited to defining causation factors for tinnitus in the veterans' compensation context, with no evidence of expansion beyond this medical condition."},"complexity_factors":["Mathematical formula for time-weighted average noise exposure using logarithmic calculations and 3-dB exchange rates","Extensive defined terms requiring medical knowledge (e.g., 'ototoxic drug from the specified list' with 20 specific pharmaceuticals)","Technical noise exposure table correlating decibel levels (80-140 dBA) with precise duration thresholds (hours, minutes, seconds)","Cross-reference mechanism to other Statements of Principles creating layered conditional logic","Specific medical definitions (e.g., 'Meniere's disease', 'otosclerosis', 'intracranial neoplasm') requiring clinical interpretation"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument, made by the Repatriation Medical Authority under the Veterans' Entitlements Act, sets the medical and exposure rules for when tinnitus is accepted as service-related for current and former Australian Defence Force members. It fixes how noise exposure is calculated, identifies ototoxic drugs and other causes, and links to other Statements of Principles — criteria that decide veterans’ entitlement to compensation and benefits."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-tinnitus-no-25-of-2001","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-tinnitus-no-25-of-2001/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-tinnitus-no-25-of-2001/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-tinnitus-no-25-of-2001/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-tinnitus-no-25-of-2001/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-tinnitus-no-25-of-2001/documents"}}