17,000 Young or old, once you lose your hearing you can never get - - PDF document

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Noise Levels

Part of the Health and Wellbeing Series

Source: HSE

How noisy is too noisy?

Hearing loss caused by work is preventable, but once your hearing has gone it will not come back.

17,000

people in the UK suffer deafness, ringing in the ears or other ear conditions caused by excessive noise at work.

• Noise is part of everyday life, but

loud noise can permanently damage your hearing

• Young or old, once you lose your

hearing you can never get it back

• New regulations have been

introduced to better protect workers from noise at work from April 2006

Am I at risk?

You are at risk if you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions about the noise where you work:

• Is the noise intrusive - like a busy street, a vacuum cleaner or a crowded restaurant - for most of

the working day?

• Do you have to raise your voice to have a normal conversation when about 2 metres apart for at

least part of the day?

• Do you use noisy powered tools or machinery for over half an hour a day?
• Do you work in a noisy industry, eg construction, demolition or road repair; woodworking; plastics

processing; engineering; textile manufacture; general fabrication; forging, pressing or stamping; paper or board making; canning or bottling; foundries?

• Are there noises because of impacts (eg hammering, drop forging, pneumatic impact tools etc),

explosive sources such as cartridge-operated tools or detonators, or guns?

• Do you have muffled hearing at the end of the day, even if it is better by the next morning?

Hearing loss is more common than you may think. In the UK, around one person in six is deaf or hard of hearing.

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Hearing Loss Symptoms

Part of the Health and Wellbeing Series

Source: HSE

Symptoms and early signs of hearing loss

Generally hearing loss is gradual. By the time you notice it, it is probably too late. We want to prevent hearing loss before it

• happens. You can also suffer instant damage from very loud or

explosive noises.

Conversation becomes difficult or impossible Your family complains about the television being too loud You have trouble using the telephone Permanent tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears) can also be caused You find it difficult to catch sounds like ‘t’, ‘d’ and ‘s’, so you confuse similar words

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PPE - Hearing

Part of the Health and Wellbeing Series

Source: HSE

The control of noise at work regulation 2005 require employers to prevent or reduce health risks to health and safety from exposure to noise at work. Employees have duties under the regulations too.

The regulations require an employer to:

• Assess the risks to employees from noise at work
• Take action to reduce the risk of noise exposure
• Provide employees with hearing protection if the noise exposure cannot be reduced by using

alternative methods

• Make sure the legal limits of noise exposure are not exceeded
• Provide employees with information, instruction and training
• Carry out health surveillance where there is a risk to health

Hearing Protection

• 1. Exposure to noise can be permanently damaging. If there is hazardous noise polution in the working

environment, the employee must be protected against the hazard by wearing ear defenders.

• 2. Reducing noise polution can be achieved by using different types of hearing protection which is covered

by the European Standard EN352.

• 3. The first action level is 80 dB(A). Employers must provide information and training and make hearing

protection available at this level. The second action is 85 dB(A). Employers must take reasonable measures to reduce noise exposure at this level.

Legislation

Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 both employers and employees have

• bligations which they must fulfill to minimise the risk of damage to hearing in the workplace.

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Causes of hearing loss

Part of the Health and Wellbeing Series

Source: HSE

Age and loud noises are the most common causes of hearing loss. Age

Age is the biggest single cause of hearing loss. Hearing loss that develops as a result of getting

• lder is often known as age-related hearing loss
• r presbycusis.

Most people begin to lose a small amount

• f their hearing when they are

30 to 40 years old. This hearing loss increases as you get older. By the age of 80 most people will have significant hearing problems. Age-related hearing loss occurs when the sensitive hair cells inside the cochlea (the coiled, spiral tube section of the inner ear) gradually become damaged or die. This type of hearing loss is known as sensorineural hearing loss. As your hearing starts to deteriorate, high-frequency sounds, such as female or children’s voices, may become difficult to hear. It may also be harder to hear consonants.

Loud Noises

Another common cause of hearing loss is damage to the ear due to repeated exposure to loud noises over time. This is known as noise-induced hearing loss and it occurs when the sensitive hair cells inside the cochlea become damaged (known as sensorineural hearing loss). People who are at a particularly risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss include:

• People who work with noisy equipment, such as

pneumatic drills or compressed-air hammers

• People who work in environments where there is

loud music, such as nightclub staff

• People who regularly listen to music at a high

volume through headphones Hearing loss can also occur suddenly due to an exceptionally loud noise, such as an explosion. This is known as acoustic trauma.

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Hearing Checks

Part of the Health and Wellbeing Series

Source: NHS Livewell

Get your hearing tested. If you are worried about your hearing it is easy to get it checked.

Quick hearing tests Quick hearing checks are a good first step to finding out how healthy your hearing is without having to visit your GP or a private hearing specialist. They are free, painless and take just five to 15 minutes. You can do some of them for yourself in your own home.

Over-the-phone hearing checks

An over-the-phone hearing check is available from Action on Hearing Loss on

0844 800 3838

(local rate call). This service is completely automated (you will not have to speak to anyone) and anonymous.

Online hearing checks

Online hearing checks are similar to Action

• n Hearing Loss's telephone hearing check,

except you hear the sounds through your computer instead of your telephone. You can do a free online hearing check at Action

• n Hearing Loss, the British Society
• f Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA), or

Boots Hearing Care.

Face-to-face tests

There are two types of face-to-face tests. Either a short hearing test, or a full hearing test.

Short hearing tests

Some GPs and private hearing aid dispensers

• ffer to do a short hearing test. These tests are

usually free, take about 15 minutes, and can indicate if you have a hearing problem. As with online and over-the-phone hearing checks, short hearing tests are screening tests designed to alert you to the fact you may have hearing loss. They cannot tell for definite that you have a hearing problem.

Full hearing tests

The full hearing test appointment lasts up to an hour, and can be carried out by your GP surgery, hospital clinic, or by a private hearing aid dispenser. At the GP If you suspect you may have hearing loss and want further testing on the NHS, make an appointment to see your GP.