Hearing loss protection advice launched
The guidance, from Honeywell, includes presentations, posters and articles – plus a video that raises awareness of the life-changing consequences of hearing damage.
The ‘Take care of your hearing’ video followed a metal worker who was exposed to a life-changing incident. It showed how exposure to one very high impulse sound could result in permanently reduced hearing ability and tinnitus.
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the world’s most common permanent injury and, being irreparable and irreversible, it can dramatically affect a person’s quality of life, Honeywell said.
The World Health Organisation has defined tinnitus as the third most serious non-deadly medical condition for humans.
‘Employers must provide proper hearing protection’
“NIHL is entirely preventable, which is why employers must provide proper hearing protection,” said Kjersti Rutlin, hearing conservation manager for Honeywell Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“Employers have a duty of care and, as part of this, workers need to receive effective training so that they know how to use and fit their hearing protection correctly.
“In doing so, we can avoid incidents that can be detrimental – not only to the individual affected but also to their family and friends.”
According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), employers must supply staff with hearing protectors if they ask for them and if they are exposed to a daily noise level of 85 decibels and above.
Training and information on how to use and care for the hearing protectors is also an HSE requirement.
HSE requirement
Last year, a device that measures the effectiveness of earplugs and earmuffs from inside an employee’s ear was introduced by 3M.
Claimed to be a major advance in the field-testing of hearing protection, the E-A-Rfit dual-ear validation system uses seven different frequencies to test both ears simultaneously for noise reduction from hearing protection.
As hearing protection equipment is specific to the user, how they use it could make a big difference to the protection offered, 3M said.
Meanwhile, the Honeywell video is available to watch below.
