07 Nov, 2023/ by National Accident Helpline /News
What is industrial tinnitus?
Industrial tinnitus is a type of workplace disease called a Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). It is a form of hearing loss sustained due to the noisy workplace environment. Industrial tinnitus is where you end up usually with a constant or intermittent ringing noise in your ear. The exact place of the ringing sound is in your tinnitus vien.
How do you get industrial tinnitus?
One way you can develop industrial tinnitus is by working in a loud work environment for a long time. For example, if you work:
- tools
- machinery
- large-scale projects
When the noise around you is too loud or at constant high decibels, your hearing organs are subject to undue force. Whenever we hear any level of noise, we get sound waves in our hearing organs. However, as the noise increases and becomes too loud, the force and energy of these soundwaves increase too. This is why your ear can become injured, and result in, for example, a damaged eardrum or industrial tinnitus.
With industrial tinnitus, the Cochlea in the inner ear gets damaged meaning the thousands of tiny cells we use in our ear to hear the sound are damaged too. An inability to hear so well causes our brain to find the sound from another place and this causes tinnitus.
What are the effects of industrial tinnitus?
The main and obvious effect of industrial tinnitus is that you have either a constant or intermittent ringing in your ear. Whilst you can still hear, the sounds are very disturbing, Sometimes the sound in your ear can be a:
- buzzing
- whistling
- hissing
- whooshing
- humming
- throbbing
- white noise
You can also suffer sleep problems due to industrial tinnitus and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Industrial tinnitus can also affect your daily activities. These may include:
- your family life
- engaging in social activities
- how able you are to work
What workplaces are you at risk of developing tinnitus?
There are particular workplaces where there is a risk of employees developing tinnitus. These include:
- the construction industry
- manufacturing jobs
- mining and quarrying
- vehicle repair jobs
- transport workers
- arts, entertainment and recreation jobs
- farming
- Armed Forces
- factories
- mills
- shipbuilding
- stone cutting
- power stations
- steelworks
An important factor affecting the likelihood of developing industrial tinnitus at work is if you work in a closed environment, such as indoors. This is because the sound waves have less room to travel compared to if you are outdoors.
How to prevent industrial tinnitus
Your employer is required by law to ensure that you experience a low level of noise at work and if they do this it can help prevent industrial tinnitus. The main way to prevent industrial tinnitus is for your employer to monitor noise levels and protect you from them being too loud.
Where your work type means that the noise level remains high, your employer has to find another way to reduce it for you. The common way to prevent industrial tinnitus is to ensure you wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the level of noise. What PPE you use will depend on the type of work and the type of noise. For example, you may need:
- earplugs
- noise-cancelling ear muffs
Your employer should also find other ways to reduce your noise level at work such as:
- sound-proofing
- quieter tools
- rest breaks in quieter areas
A further way to prevent industrial tinnitus is for employers to train their staff about workplace diseases. Education and awareness of industrial tinnitus can potentially prevent it.
Is my employer responsible for my industrial tinnitus?
If you develop industrial tinnitus, your employer may be responsible. This will be the case where they did not mitigate the high level of noise you were exposed to in the workplace. All employers have a legal responsibility to keep their employees healthy and safe at work. Therefore, they legally have to take reasonable steps to ensure this.
Can I make a no win no fee workplace compensation claim?
If you suffer an accident or injury at work, such as developing tinnitus you could make a compensation claim with us at National Accident Helpline. To make it easy and risk-free, you can do so on a no win no fee basis. A no win no fee workplace accident claim means you take no financial risk when you make the compensation claim.
How long do I have to make my industrial tinnitus claim?
When you make any type of personal injury claim such as one for industrial tinnitus, there is a time limit on making your claim. You must start your workplace compensation claim within three years of the accident or the date of knowledge. The date of knowledge for an industrial tinnitus claim is the day you were aware you had developed the industrial tinnitus.
We at National Accident Helpline advise that you start your industrial tinnitus claim immediately. This means that our expert solicitors have ample time to gather the important evidence they need to finalise your compensation claim as soon as possible.
How much compensation could I get for my industrial tinnitus claim?
The amount of compensation employees receive for their industrial tinnitus compensation claims varies. Multiple factors need to be taken into account, which will differ depending on a person's circumstances. For example:
- your level of pain
- other problems related to industrial tinnitus such as depression
- medical expenses you incur
- lost earnings
- travel expenses as a result of no longer being able to drive or to attend medical appointments.
To give you an example of how much you could claim, if your tinnitus is slight, you could receive up to £7,010. However if you, unfortunately, suffer from severe tinnitus and loss-induced hearing, you could receive up to £45,540 in workplace compensation.
Frequently asked questions...
Around 95% of our cases are settled without the need to go to court. This means there is a very small chance a claim will require a court hearing.
If your case does go to court, your solicitor will be on hand to support and guide you through the process and will make sure you always know what to expect.
Every case we work with is different, which makes it hard for us to say how long your compensation claim might take.
In simpler cases, where fault is clear and undeniable the claim may be settled quickly. However, if you've suffered a serious or life-changing injury, then your compensation claim may take longer because we need to understand the full impact of your injury and make sure your costs are covered.
Our solicitors will stay in touch and keep you informed every step of the way, so that you always know what stage your claim is at.
Quite simply, yes. If you're thinking of making a claim on behalf of a friend or loved one, then it's likely we can help you.
To find out more information please visit our claiming on behalf of someone else page.
Could you claim for an accident at work?
If you have suffered an accident or injury in the workplace, such as industrial tinnitus, you may be owed compensation so could make a claim. You go to work to do a job and earn money so the last thing you expect is to sustain an injury or illness in the workplace.
Unfortunately, workplace accidents are common. If you develop industrial deafness or tinnitus from your work, it hinders your day-to-day life and causes you much suffering. At National Accident Helpline, we completely sympathise with those who suffer accidents or injuries in the workplace and believe it is fair and essential that you get any compensation you are due.
So, let us at National Accident Helpline help you today - Call today, request a call back here or begin your claim online.
How do I make an accident at work claim?
If you have a workplace injury or suffer an accident in the workplace you could make a compensation claim. At National Accident Helpline, we make this as easy and stress-free as possible, you can even calculate your potential compensation online beforehand by using our compensation calculator here.
The claim process for an accident or injury at work with National Accident Helpline begins with a simple phone call to one of our friendly and understanding advisors. Once they have patiently listened to your unfortunate situation they can start your journey towards getting the compensation you can claim. Our experienced advisors will then pass you to one of our many expert solicitors who will complete your claim.
As a result of your accident in the workplace, you are likely to be due personal injury compensation, so make sure you call us today on . We can help you to make a compensation claim. You can also request a call back here if it is easier or even begin your claim online.
Last updated 07.11.23