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When considering workplaces with high levels of noise that have the potential to cause industrial deafness much has been made of the different types of hearing protection that employers can and should provide. However, there is wide ranging and differing opinion as to which hearing protection device (HPD) is the most efficient and whether or not they should be used in tandem.
A Scandinavian research paper, now published in the International Journal of Audiology, tested shipyard workers in an attempt to ascertain the efficacy of earmuffs as opposed to earplugs.
By choosing shipyard workers the researchers were able to select groups of workers from specific age groups who had all been working in the same noise environment for many years.
All workers chosen had used either earplugs or earmuffs for 5-10 years. They were also chosen for having worked almost continually in the same noise environment.
The researchers, all from the Department of Physics and the Department of Oto-rhino-laryngology at Univerity of Lund, Sweden, tested the worker's hearing thresholds using Bé:ké:sy sweep audiometry.
Differences in hearing levels were investigated using three different methods of investigation but were applied similarly to all workers irrespective of which HPD they preferred or used.
All three methods of investigation revealed greater hearing impairment in workers who used earmuffs rather than earplugs. Though, interestingly, it was found that earmuffs provided higher noise attenuation (lessening) than earplugs.
It was concluded that under certain conditions earplugs can provide more effective protection against high noise levels than earmuffs.
Protection from Industrial deafness and the experts at YouClaim
Of course one of the main methods for the prevention of noise induced hearing loss is to reduce the levels of noise in a workplace and to prevent workers from being exposed to excess noise for long periods of time. If these methods fail to protect workers from high noise levels then HPD should be used in addition to continued efforts to keep noise levels down.
If your hearing has suffered because of high noise levels in your work place and you feel your employer did not do enough to protect you, you may be able to make a claim for compensation as a result of industrial deafness.
Our personal injury lawyers are amongst the most experienced and successful in the UK and are all governed by the strict tenets of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. What's more, apart from complex medical negligence cases, we never ask our clients to pay legal fees and costs as we have developed a no win, no fee system that completely protects claimants from all fees, even in a lost case.
Further, all our claimants are guaranteed to receive 100% of any compensation awarded; we will never take a penny once a sum has been agreed.
Contact us today
You can speak to one of our friendly yet knowledgeable advisors by calling our free and confidential helpline on 0800 10 757 95 or we can always call you back at a time to suit you.
Alternatively, you may wish to fill in our online claim form giving us brief details of your claim and then one of our personal injury solicitors will look into the details of your industrial deafness before we discuss going ahead with the claim.
