Industrial Deafness

If you have suffered from industrial deafness (loss of hearing as a result of your work) then you could be entitled to injury compensation.

Every employer has a duty of care to provide their employees with the correct training, safety and protective equipment and a safe environment to work within, including protecting employees from the risks associated with industrial deafness.

In fact, the 2005 Noise at Work Act requires all UK employers to prevent or reduce risks to health and safety from exposure to noise at work. If your employer failed to do this and you sustainded industrial deafness as a result, you may be able to make a compensation claim.

Causes of Industrial Deafness

A workplace which consistently runs loud machinery or noise puts workers in danger of industrial deafness. One example of this type of workplace would be a nightclub. Nightclubs which play very loud music for long periods can cause deafness in employees – bar staff or dancers for example.

In fact, at between 95 to 120 decibels, the noise in nightclubs is similar to that given off by a pneumatic drill (8 times more than the level requiring ear protection in industry). Employers should, therefore, run a risk assessment and provide earplugs/protective headsets to staff whose hearing is in danger.

Other occupations where workers are at risk of industrial deafness include factories and building sites where noisy machinery is regularly used (drills, for example), military services where workers are exposed to loud explosions and those working in transport who are regularly exposed to loud noise, for example from trains or planes.

The risk of suffering from the symptoms of industrial deafness depend on the time period an employee is exposed, and also the level of noise that they are exposed to. Generally speaking, if an employee has to raise their voice in order to speak to someone two metres away, then they are at risk of developing some form of industrial deafness as a result.

Symptoms of Industrial Deafness

Symptoms of industrial deafness include tinnitus (a ringing, buzzing or humming in the ears), temporary loss of hearing (usually a deafness which lasts for a few hours after the exposure), muffled hearing or trouble hearing high pitched noise, and permanent deafness, which usually occurs after long periods of exposure.

Another symptom of industrial deafness is acoustic trauma. This means physical damage to the ear such as a perforated eardrum. This injury is usually seen after a quick but highly intense noise exposure. Acoustic trauma is a form of industrial deafness often seen in military servicemen who have been within close range of a large explosion.

Acoustic trauma and permanent deafness are the most severe forms of industrial deafness, and these two kinds of injuries are often irreversible.

It is a common misconception, especially in pubs and nightclubs, that industrial deafness only affects the elderly. It is, in fact, proven that young people are just as likely to suffer from industrial deafness and should, therefore, take precautionary action where required.

Compensation amounts rewarded for an industrial deafness claim, like any work accident claim, vary depending on the extent of the injury and the amount of earnings lost as a direct result of the injury. It also has to be proven that the industrial deafness could have been prevented by the employer.

If you think you could be eligible to make an industrial deafness claim, give our experienced team a call on the free phone number above or, alternatively, fill in an online claim form and they will call you at a convenient time for a no obligation chat.