Download Knowing about your occupational hearing loss

Knowing about your
occupational
hearing loss
Knowing about occupational
hearing loss
Occupational hearing loss is common in people who
have spent a lot of time working in noisy conditions.
Long-term loud noise at work can damage the inner ear,
causing hearing loss.
Signs of noise-induced hearing loss are:
• inability to hear quiet sounds, especially highpitched sounds
• difficulty hearing speech, especially when there is
background noise
• ringing in the ears (tinnitus), although this can
also occur with other hearing and non-hearing
conditions.
Hearing also tends to get worse with age, and this agerelated hearing loss can combine with noise-induced
hearing loss to make the problem worse.
It’s important to protect yourself from loud noise
(whether at work or leisure) before your hearing gets
any worse.
temporal bone
ossicles (ear bones)
hearing nerve
inner ear
(cochlea)
ear drum
(tympanic membrane) auditory tube
(or Eustachian)
the ear
IMPORTANT: information in this booklet is
not intended to replace advice from a health
professional.
Did you know?
• Long-term loud noise can damage the inner ear (the
cochlea) and if the noise continues this damage will
get worse.
• Mild hearing loss does not protect you from more
loss. If you work in a noisy place and don’t protect
yourself, your hearing will get worse.
• Noise at home or during recreation is just as bad
as noise at work. Shooting, loud music and noisy
power tools are common causes of hearing loss.
• People with hearing loss can usually go on working
in the same job, but may need hearing aids and
different ways of communicating.
• Employers in noisy occupations and industries are
required by law to keep records of workplace noise
levels and to test workers’ hearing regularly.
• Reducing noise in the workplace is the best way to
prevent occupational hearing loss. If you can’t avoid
loud noise, use ear plugs or ear muffs. Ear plugs
or muffs are rated by the Department of Labour
according to the level of protection they provide.
• The noisier the environment, the higher the rating
of hearing protection you need. However, there
are reasons – such as needing to communicate for
safety reasons – for not always using the highest
rating.
How loud is too loud?
The law and loud noise at work
Noise is measured in decibels (dB or dBA). Workplace
noise standards are defined in the Health and Safety
Regulations of 1995. These standards are based on two
exposure criteria: noise levels and hours of exposure in
a 24-hour day.
According to the 1995 regulations, a person can safely
be exposed to 85dB of noise for up to eight hours in a
day, and peak noise levels should not exceed 140dB.
Employers have a responsibility to control noise levels
in workplaces. If it is not possible to control noise levels,
employers must provide (and employees must wear) ear
plugs or muffs.
The red bar below shows how long it takes before a
noise level becomes dangerous to the human ear. For
example, a power lawn mower puts out about 90dB of
sound. Without proper hearing protection, running a
lawn mower for two hours over the course of a 24-hour
day can become dangerous to the human ear.
Meanwhile, unprotected exposure to a bulldozer (105dB)
can become dangerous in about four minutes time.
Warning signs
The noise is too loud and may be damaging your
hearing if:
• you have to shout to make yourself heard
• you feel as if you’re losing balance
• you notice a dulling of sounds, or have ringing in
your ears at the end of a shift
• you have regular temporary hearing loss after work
• noise levels at work average 85dB or more.
What can you do to help?
There are a number of ways to manage your hearing
loss and reduce the risk of further complications:
• Always seek advice and treatment from your local
GP first.
• Always wear ear plugs or muffs when it’s noisy,
whether you’re at work or not.
• Spend as little time as possible in noisy places or
doing noisy jobs.
• Ask your employer or workplace Health & Safety
officer about reducing noise levels, or reducing
your exposure to noise, and whether you may need
hearing protection. It may be possible for your work
to be rescheduled or for noisy equipment to be shut
away.
• Have regular hearing tests as these will pick up
the signs of more hearing loss. Some people are
more sensitive to noise than others and do not
get enough protection from ear plugs or muffs. A
hearing test will pick this up before the damage gets
worse.
• If you need extra protection, such as higher-rated
hearing protectors, ask for it. You have a right to
safeguard your hearing at work.
• Report any post-shift hearing loss to your manager.
• Use hearing aids if you need to and talk about any
related problems with an Audiologist.
How can ACC help you?
ACC helps people whose noise-induced hearing loss is
due to a noisy New Zealand workplace. We can help you
by:
• providing helpful information, support and guidance
• making fair decisions about your cover and
entitlements
• possibly helping you with rehabilitation services.
ACC requires a specialist opinion that your hearing loss
is likely to have been caused by noise at work.
If you have had hearing tests done over the years, these
may help support your ACC claim, so please tell ACC
about your test results if you have them.
ACC may not, however, be able to help people who lose
their hearing for other reasons.
For more information give us a call on 0800 101 996 or
visit our website www.acc.co.nz
Help is never far away
If you do experience hearing loss, there are a number of
people such as friends, family and health professionals
that can help you.
family and friends can:
• support and encourage you to stay positive. Living with
hearing loss may not be easy but having others to help
you can make things easier
• change the way they speak or communicate with you to
make it easier
• be patient when listening to you.
your workplace can:
• regularly monitor noise levels and reduce where possible
• give you regular hearing checks if noise levels are high
• provide ear plugs or muffs and make sure that staff wear
them where necessary
• make sure you and your work colleagues can communicate
in a noisy environment.
an audiologist can:
• help you communicate with others at work and home
• let you know how you can protect your hearing
• fairly assess the cause and extent of your hearing loss so
ACC can decide if they can cover you
• help with hearing aids or other devices. Even if ACC can’t
cover hearing aids they can discuss options with you to
make your hearing loss easier
• repair your hearing aids or check that you have the right
ones
• refer you to a hearing specialist if needed.
a hearing therapist can:
• help you with ways to communicate with work mates and
family members
• give you advice on how to protect your hearing
• refer you to an Audiologist or GP for further assessment
• work with you and your family to develop a plan to help
you. This could include things like suggesting louder
telephones, or TV headsets that will make watching TV
easier for you.
an ear, nose and throat specialist can:
• make a fair assessment to help ACC make a decision on
your cover, advice and treatment, and tips for protecting
your hearing.
My important contacts
my health professional (eg doctor, or ent specialist)
Name
Phone number
my audiologist
Name
Phone number
my acc contact person (eg case manager)
Name
Phone number
ACC claim number
other contacts
Name
Phone number
Name
Phone number
For more information about ACC and our services,
call 0800 101 996 or visit www.acc.co.nz.
We have interpreters who can help you talk to us.
Information presented in this publication is derived in part from
The Medical Disability Advisor 4th Edition
ACC4058 • Printed April 2008