Hearing loss
If you are suffering from hearing loss which you believe is attributable
to excessive noise at work you may have a condition known as industrial
or occupational deafness which you can claim compensation for. Questions you may be asking about hearing loss include:
Call us now on 0800 195 4365
Email us using our Online Enquiry Form
What is it?
- It is the deterioration of a person’s hearing over a prolonged
period of time caused by the exposure to noise
in the working environment
- Noise causes one of the most common health problems for workers
- Noise levels and the daily exposure to noise over a period of time, both contribute
to hearing damage
Who is most at risk?
Those particularly at risk include workers who have worked in any
of the following industries or professions:
- construction eg metal work, drilling and stone cutting
- manufacturing eg textile and bottle manufacture
- shipbuilding
- driving
- foundries
- food processing
- agriculture
- engineering
- woodworking
- any job involving work which requires the operation of noisy machines
However, a person can also suffer from occupational deafness
just from working in a noisy factory or working environment.
Excessive noise in the workplace can even lead to tinnitus.
Tinnitus refers to the condition of noises 'in the ears or
in the head' with no external source. The types of noises heard include
ringing, buzzing, whistling, and humming.
What is acoustic shock?
Others at risk of industrial deafness include call centre operators
or anyone wearing a telephone headset. This type of injury is called
acoustic shock and is a term used in conjunction with incidents
involving exposure to short bursts of high frequency/intensity audio sounds
through a telephone headset.
Signs and symptoms
It is often difficult to detect hearing damage until significant
loss has occurred. The first signs can be:
- family members complain the TV is too loud
- joining in group conversations becomes difficult
- you experience difficulties holding telephone conversations
The effects of excessive noise exposure
Hearing loss can often be the result of physical damage
to the middle ear, eardrum, and the inner ear. The hair cells inside
the inner ear can be permanently damaged by excessive noise levels. Intense noises
can rupture the eardrum and dislocate or even fracture the small bones of the middle
ear. If you feel any pain in your ears it is often a distinct warning that your
threshold for damage has been reached.
If your ears have been damaged you could suffer symptoms of
dizziness, motion sickness and disorientation. Excessive exposure to
high levels of noise can also result in stress, fatigue, and irritability.
We can help you
Simpson Millar LLP's specialist team of dedicated and highly skilled
solicitors deal with claims of this nature frequently and will
advise you fully and help you to make a
compensation claim for noise induced hearing loss. Call us now
on 0800 195 4365 or use our free, no obligation, online enquiry form
to register for a call back from our Industrial deafness compensation
team.
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