Industrial deafness, pregnancy and unborn children

It is a little discussed fact that an unborn child's exposure to excessive noise (any level above 85 decibels) can have a detrimental impact on its future health and hearing.

While any expectant mother can use personal protective equipment to protect herself against hearing problems emanating from excessive noise in the workplace, the same cannot be said for an unborn child.

Occupational risk
This is why employers must take precautionary steps to protect the hearing and health of the children of any expectant mothers in their workforces. Failure to properly adapt the working environment and reduce an unborn child's exposure to noise could eventually result in hearing and health problems for which the employer could later be found accountable. This is why every employer must adapt to pregnant workers' needs, as not only can too much noise damage an unborn child's health, it can leave the employer facing an industrial deafness compensation claim.

Studies such as the one reported by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work show that employers who expose the unborn children of pregnant workers to excessive and loud low-frequency noises are most at risk of having of causing damage and having to pay out sums of industrial deafness compensation.

This is because there is sufficient evidence to indicate that low-frequency noises have the most detrimental impact on the health and hearing of unborn children.

It is those industries most commonly associated with industrial deafness compensation claims which have the greatest need to adapt the working environments and noise exposure levels of pregnant workers. Some examples of high-risk occupations in these industries are: factory workers, material handling workers, transport and machinery operatives, electricians and fitters, caterers and cleaners, as well as those in the entertainment and hospitality industries.

Employer responsibilty
As soon as an employer becomes aware that a worker is pregnant they have a duty to assess the worker's exposure to noise and make any suitable changes to the working environment. This may mean a change in role or location, or a reduction in time spent by the worker exposed to noise. Employers also have a responsibility to recognise that while personal protective equipment may safeguard the expectant mother from damage caused by noise exposure, such equipment is of no benefit to the unborn child.

Failure of the employer to carry out assesments and any necessary changes may well result in a situation arising where they have to pay out industrial deafness compensation for damage suffered to the hearing of an unborn child.

Other risks to unborn children associated with excessive noise
Industrial deafness and industrial deafness compensation are not the only workplace noise-related issues affecting expectant mothers and their unborn children. There is also a body of evidence indicating that excessive noise can have a detrimental impact on the health of both pregnant women and their unborn children through causing the release of damaging stress hormones.

This may lead to pregnancy-related problems for the mother or developmental difficulties for the child. A European Economic Council directive warns that employers failing to reduce excessive noise may lead to increased blood pressure and tiredness' for pregnant workers.

In addition to this, some experts warn that exposure to excessive noise in the workplace may have a negative impact on the foetal heartrate.

Affected childrens' right to industrial deafness compensation
One complicated factor in securing industrial deafness compensation for children who have developed hearing problems as a result of exposure to workplace noise while in the womb is that the hearing loss is not usually diagnosed until the child is between the ages of 4 and 10.

At this point the parents may wish to claim industrial deafness compensation on their child's behalf. Alternatively, the child may wait until he or she is 18 years old before claiming industrial deafness compensation independently.

Making a no win, no fee industrial deafness compensation claim
If you or your child have suffered hearing loss as a result of exposure to excessive noise in the workplace, you should be entitled to industrial deafness compensation.

YouClaim's panel of no win, no fee solicitors contains members who are leading specialists in the field of industrial deafness claims.

Over the years we have forged an excellent reputation and success rate in helping people claim the compensation they deserve.

When making a compensation claim with YouClaim you will never, at any stage, have to pay us or anyone else a penny in legal costs or fees. And when you consider that we never take a cut from any of our client's compensation awards, you can rest assured that we offer a completely cost-free and risk-free service.

To begin your industrial deafness claim today you can contact in several ways.

Fill out an online claim form, ask us to call you back at a convenient time, log onto e-chat or, alternatively, call us now on 0800 10 757 95.