If you are a
construction worker, chances are that you are constantly working with jackhammers, drills,
power saws, and other very loud and dangerous machines. While most people
associate these machines with their ability to cut or harm a person by
lacerations and blunt force injuries, they can also cause a significant
amount of damage because of their loud volume when being operated. After
hearing these loud, piercing noises for days on end, some construction
workers may develop hearing issues that will eventually result in ringing
in the ear, inner-ear damage, or even deafness.
Limiting Noise Exposure Can Prevent Injury
According to the
OSHA, exposure to high levels of noise has been known to cause permanent
hearing loss. Unfortunately there is not a surgery or medication that can correct this
type of hearing loss, so it is important that you take this risk very
carefully. There are different degrees of hearing loss. Some individuals
may not be able to higher pitched frequencies after too much noise exposure,
while others may have trouble understanding speech, or may affect a person's
ability to communicate. This can even lead to social isolation. Hearing
loss can also affect your qualify of life by interfering with your ability
to enjoy socializing or playing with your children because you are no
longer able to hear them.
The OSHA says that damage to your hearing can be prevented through protective
materials and rational care, but it cannot be cured or reversed. Because
it typically occurs gradually, you may not even know that you are losing
your hearing until you are already seriously affected. Noise can also
affect your body in other ways. In fact, a recent study revealed that
workers that are exposed to excessive noise are two to three times more
likely to suffer from a serious heart disease.
If you have heard time hearing in large groups, experience ringing in one
or both ears, have trouble hearing alarms or the ringing of a cell phone,
or have trouble understanding others on the phone, then you may have hearing
loss already. Most of the time, one-time exposure to a loud noise can
damage your ear instantly. As well, prolonged exposures to loud noise
can do the same damage but at a slower, gradual pace. If you believe that
you could be losing your hearing, you need to go to a physician and get
this condition checked out.
Your employer at the construction site should be looking out for your welfare
by limiting the amount of hours you work in noisy areas, providing you
with headphones or earplugs when in loud areas, and posting signs near
high-noise areas to make sure that those without hearing protection don't
entire the area. Some more advanced and more current construction technologies
have been able to minimize the noise from these machines, and employers
can also set up barriers by loud machines to reduce the noise level. If
you want more information,
talk to a New York worker's compensation attorney at Katz, Leidman, Freund
& Herman today!