In most cases, many employers neglect and overlook hearing protection. Hearing loss does not only happen in military services or other shooting sports where you hear loud gunshots. In the UK, millions of people have hearing issues, increasing the number of hearing loss claims across the UK. Some of them have occupation deafness claims; others have hearing loss due to the age factor. Many older adults cannot hear properly because they are losing their hearing ability with time. However, whether you are going through industrial deafness or old-age hearing problems, consult Hearing Loss Compensation Tables UK to get an idea about hearing loss compensation.
Your hearing ability involves safety and health risks. Various hazardous working conditions can lead to damaged ears. Industrial deafness can occur in fieldwork, such as agriculture and construction. Sharp tools or shrill voices from machinery can cause hearing loss in labour. People are affected by hearing loss because they have not been provided with proper hearing gear, such as noise-reduction headsets.
Understanding the Loud Noise
Your understanding of a noisy environment is crucial before you make a hearing loss claim to your employer. The noise measuring metric is ‘Decibels’, dB for a short name. According to the UK Health and Safety Executive, the normal exposure to noise should be 87 dB and must not exceed to save your hearing skills in a noisy environment. However, if it is not possible, such as gunshots are regular in the field, then you must ensure that you do not cross 140 dB. Saving yourself from hearing loss is a challenging part in most of the occupations.
Industrial Deafness Occupations
Some professionals have hearing loss. They cannot avoid due to the nature of their work:
Agriculture Sector
The agricultural sector serves an important purpose for the economy. It brings us food such as wheat, rice and other crops. The farmers have to work in the crop fields, which involves tractors running in the field. However, heavy machinery such as a tractor is necessary for yielding crops as it keeps the soil flat and moist with an irrigation system. It produces a 90 Db noise, which may result in hearing loss for the farmers. Unfortunately, the farmers do not know safety measures at work, nor does the employer think about the adverse effects of loud noise created by tractors on the farmers. However, hearing safety is important to the farmers as many other occupations work on their health and safety guidelines.
Military Services (Aviation, Army, Navy)
For every country, defence forces are as important for political stability as other ministries. However, armed forces have hearing loss claims because they hear gunshots and bomb explosions, producing peak dB. The Navy forces are vulnerable to hearing loss while diving into deep waters. Sometimes, they develop diseases due to excessive water in their ears. However, aviation is not left behind. They are the most vulnerable individuals who rely on communication in their space. They will focus on the vision before them but require efficient communication. Often, they forget to put on headsets before taking off. Therefore, they are exposed to noise threats in the air. Poor audio equipment and headsets also cause them to lose their hearing ability.
Construction Sector
Heavy machinery is used to make buildings. Drilling is one of the annoying noises, but a constant drill noise can damage the worker’s ears. However, other machinery equipment is also a source of loud noise in the surroundings. Construction workers risk losing their hearing ability because noise threats are increasing in the construction sector.
However, the Hearing Loss Compensation Tables UK, available online, can estimate your hearing loss claim.
Protecting Yourself from Hearing Loss
You can protect yourself from hearing loss if you are well-equipped with hearing gear. It is important to concentrate on your work but also keep your protection gear on at work. You will need to talk to your employer to have proper hearing gear provided.
Hiring a Legal Solicitor for Hearing Loss Claims
Employees are often exposed to loud noise due to the employer’s negligence. You can claim for your hearing loss after gathering evidence against the working conditions. Additionally, you must talk to your solicitor once you have gone through hearing loss compensation tables in the UK to know that you are eligible for the claim.
