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Many employees who work in the proximity of loud noises are at risk of an incident of acoustic shock and, regardless of whether they spend five minutes or twelve hours in a hearing protected zone, workers should always ensure that they wear appropriate hearing protection in these zones or in any other areas as instructed by an employer.
Although some employees may feel that it is their decision to choose whether or not to wear hearing protection provided by their employer, all members of staff do actually have a legal duty under the Control of Noise at Work regulations 2005 to comply with hearing protection protocols and to report any defects in hearing that have been sustained.
However, in many cases, loud noises can be controlled at the source or with other methods, and workers are not required to wear hearing protection.
Some workers are concerned that earplugs and earmuffs will make it difficult for them to understand co-workers when they need to communicate with each other, but this should not be the case.
In fact, employees wearing earmuffs or earplugs are likely to have very little problem with making out speech from another person as the hearing protection will screen a lot of the background noise out – some ear defenders are even designed to allow the sound of human voices to pass through whilst blocking out any background noise.
Another worry which some workers may have is that hearing protection devices may cause ear infections, however, this is largely a myth as earplugs and ear defenders are unlikely to cause an infection as long as the employee adheres to good hygiene techniques.
Clean hands should be used when inserting and removing earplugs. Disposable earplugs should be thrown away after use, whereas reusable earplugs should be regularly washed in warm water and dried thoroughly.
Earmuffs are significantly less likely to cause an infection, but workers should regularly wipe or wash the cushions that rest around the ears.
As long as workers adhere to hearing protection regulations, they reduce the risks of sustaining permanent hearing damage from an incident of acoustic shock.
Make a claim for acoustic shock with YouClaim
Unfortunately, not all employers abide by health and safety regulations and every year many workers suffer from incidents of acoustic shock.
Here at YouClaim we are industrial deafness experts, and we could help you to make a compensation claim for your pain, suffering and any loss of earnings.
Our experienced claims advisors will be able to tell you within minutes whether you have a case, and what's more, win or lose, we never charge any of our customers a penny for our services.
Find out more about making a claim for acoustic shock by starting a Live Chat or filling in our online form.
