2026-03-23 Worker Letter Claim Disallowed or Injury Denied

MARK HOLAND, Claim #42647461

stable. Differences of 0 to 10 dB are within test-retest variability and are not
considered to be significant. Therefore, there is no evidence of any significant changes
in hearing thresholds since September 2025.

e The exposure is not consistent with acoustic trauma or acoustic shock.

e With respect to triggering your migraines, noise levels in this workstation were
considered to be similar to a typical office environment or that of an average
conversation. It is likely that acoustic events at work and outside of work could
potentially trigger the worker’s migraines.

e Based on the evidence on file, the main driving factors of your complaints are likely
your pre-existing and non-occupational conditions of migraines and noise sensitivity,
rather than the incident itself.

Decision

After reviewing all available information and applicable law and policy, it is my decision that your
claim does not meet the provisions of Section 134 or 136 of the Act. I have denied your claim for a
work-related occupational disease.

Reasoning

I have first considered your claim under Section 134 of the Act which outlines that a personal injury
must have happened at work and been caused by work. You have reported that starting around
January 2026 you began experiencing headaches and ear pain you attribute to a server fan noise
you were exposed to between January 12, 2026 and January 29, 2026. You did not report any
specific incident which may have caused your symptoms therefore, I cannot accept your claim under
Section 134 of the Act.

You have reported that you developed headache and ear symptoms in January 2026 for which you
are seeking compensation. Medical records and sound level testing were requested and added to the
claim file. Relevant submissions from you were reviewed by the Board Audiologist. The Audiologist
opinion detailed that your symptoms are not consistent with that of acoustic trauma or acoustic
shock. Further they noted, based on sound level testing which was completed using appropriate
equipment and analyzed by professionals trained and experienced in noise measurement
methodology, the sound levels you were exposed to between January 12, 2026 and January 29,
2026 were not hazardous nor any louder than a typical office environment or a regular conversation.
With respect to your pre-existing and managed migraines, the audiologist noted these may have
been triggered by the noise. However, given their statements that the noise exposure was no more
than in a typical office environment or conversational level, I do not find the noise you were exposed
to exceeds that of a typical occupational or non occupational environment and consider this onset of
symptoms could just have likely been caused by any other setting. I therefore do not find that there
is evidence to support that your workplace exposures were a more than trivial cause of your
condition, nor a more than trivial contributor to any aggravation of your condition.

I have determined that the evidence does not support that your work duties or environment have
led to the development of an occupational disease; therefore, it is my decision that your claim does
not meet the requirements of Section 136 of the Workers Compensation Act.

Next steps
Please contact me as soon as possible if you do not understand the reasons for my decision or want
to discuss your claim. I can explain the reasons for the decision(s) and/or consider any additional

D0003-S-CC-R22/11 Page 3 of 4