Youth of today risk going deaf
Young people across the UK, particularly those working in industry, could risk industrial deafness because they listen to too much music every week. A national survey carried out by Specsavers Hearcare and Deafness Research UK found that 14 % of people listen to up to 28 hours of music every week.
An increasing number of people are being allowed to listen to music in the workplace, especially in offices for work that doesn't involve using the phone. As a rule of thumb, if other employees can hear the music, then the sound level is too high. Manufacturers are taking the reports seriously by introducing volume limiters into models they produce so that consumers cannot sue them for deafness.
Loud machinery and music can cause significant ear damage
Employers in some industrial and construction environments are also allowing employees to listen to music while they work to keep them happy and motivated. Loud machinery combined with even louder amplified music can cause significant ear damage and can contribute to industrial deafness.
Employers need to be aware that ignorance about noise not only risks the health of their workforce but also increases the likelihood of them being faced with deafness compensation claims.
Lack of awareness about ear sensitivity and damage to the ear canal contributes to the amount of exposure to loud music people are willing to experience. Visiting noisy bars for work and social events can contribute further to hearing loss.
Blasé attitudes among some young people to noise means that high sound levels at work are often tolerated and measures, such as using earplugs, rarely taken to safeguard against hearing loss.
Young people working in bars and pubs or in the music industry have the worst deal of all, being subjected to significantly loud music on a fairly consistent basis.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 1.3 million people are exposed at work to potentially damaging noise levels and 170,000 already suffer from deafness, tinnitus and other noise-related ear conditions.
A third of workers in jobs with high noise levels leave work with impaired hearing and 20 % suffer from tinnitus. The Noise at Work Regulations state employers must take specific steps to reduce noise hazards. For more information about the regulations, visit the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk.
Industrial deafness compensation
Many young people suffer from deafness as a result of excessive exposure to noise at work. Over the years, the daily barrage of amplified sound can take its toll and cause irreparable damage to the ear canal.
If you've suffered industrial deafness because of someone else's negligence, you could be in a position to make a personal injury compensation claim with YouClaim.
Our panel of no win, no fee solicitors have extensive experience in industrial deafness and personal injury claims and an excellent success rate. You won't have to pay anything at any time and you can even keep 100% of any compensation awarded.
Fill out an online claim form or call us now on 0800 10 757 95 for free legal advice and to set your compensation claim in motion.
