Exposure to noise at work can cause irreversible hearing damage. It is one of the commonest health problems and can be difficult to detect as the effects build up gradually over time.
Excessive noise exposure over a prolonged period of time can cause the following symptoms and difficulties:
- Hearing Loss
- Hearing difficulties when there is background noise
- Difficulty conversing
- Problems when using the telephone
- Difficulty hearing the doorbell.
- Ringing, whistling or buzzing in the ears (a medical condition known as Tinnitus)
Thousands of workers are exposed to excessive noise at work that can give rise to hearing loss (Noise Induced Deafness). Many workers do not claim until later on in life, as the disability is insidious. The effects of the noise exposure gradually creep up on a person. It is often only when age related hearing loss coupled with the additional noise induced loss becomes apparent that a person may notice a significant problem with their hearing.
What occupations are able to make a claim?
Any job that involves exposure to loud noise. This can include labourers using drills to break up concrete and tarmac in the road, factory workers and even call centre operatives where hearing can be damaged to the ear when sound is emitted through the earpiece.
Even if you left your noisy employment many years ago it is still possible to succeed with a claim for compensation for noise induced hearing loss.
Further Reading
