09 Aug Industrial deafness compensation claim
What is industrial deafness?
Industrial deafness is a hearing impairment caused by working in an excessively noisy environment, leading to serious symptoms that can affect many workers in Dublin and Ireland for the rest of their life. If you suffer from deafness as a result of your working environment, you may be able to claim for industrial deafness compensation from your employer.
Industrial deafness can also be brought on by acoustic shock, where a person is exposed to a sudden high volume.
It is important to note that your employer must be liable for your deafness for you to have a successful industrial deafness claim; it is equally important for an employee to avoid excessive noise where possible, for example by wearing ear plugs or provided ear muffs. As with all personal injury claims, you must be able to prove that your employer was negligent in their duty of care to you and that their negligence caused your injury for your claim to be successful.
What are the symptoms of industrial deafness?
Industrial deafness can present itself from a moderate to severe level across a range of symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Tinnitus
- Difficulty distinguishing speech when there is background noise
- Missing parts of conversation
- Difficulty hearing the TV or constantly needing to turn the volume up
With more severe industrial deafness cases, a persona many need a hearing aid or may need to completely rely on sign language or lip reading.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is one of the most common reason on industrial deafness compensation claims. Tinnitus is a constant buzzing or high-pitched ringing in your ears. Tinnitus is usually a temporary situation, which can be experienced after concerts or being in other loud environments. In serious cases this may be permanent which can lead to long-lasting discomfort for the person suffering from it.
What workplaces does industrial deafness happen in?
Industrial deafness can occur in any workplace where the employee is exposed to loud or high-pitched noises for an extended period. Some of the most common workplaces include:
- Building sites
- Extended exposure to loud machinery such as jackhammers, saws or compressors without adequate protective gear is one of the most common routes to industrial deafness.
- Factories
- Factories often contain loud machines or processes that a worker may be unavoidably exposed to on a daily basis. The noise levels generated by these machines can lead to long-term hearing problems if proper protective hear is not provided.
- Call centres
- Industrial deafness can also occur from working in an office environment such as a call centre. In these cases, extended periods using a headset that is too loud can result in damaged hearing. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure there are appropriate volume limits on any headsets provided.
- Pub, night club or other venues
- Employees working in venues with loud music can be exposed to extremely loud music daily, often for hours at a time.
If you are unsure if you have an industrial deafness case, please Contact one of our solicitors dealing with personal injury or industrial deafness. For more information, you can also refer to our Workplace Accidents page.
To discuss your case in more detail with a no obligation consultation, please contact Ferrys Solicitors LLP, Personal Injury and Accident Solicitors or call into one of branches around Dublin.
