Hazardous Noise Levels At Work Can Cause Hearing Loss

When one thinks of work-related injuries, you think about slips, mishaps, and possibly repetitive motion injuries like Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. But most persons disregard the lasting, devastating damage of harmful noise levels at work locations ' sound levels that often lead to loss of hearing and possibly lifelong deafness. Did you know that studies performed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that possibly as many as 10,000,000 employees in the US are exposed to harmful amounts of noise during their shift?

What amount of noise is too much noise? Most hearing experts find that being exposed to greater than ninety decibels of sound (the amount of noise a truck engine generates when positioned five yards away) on a routine basis can produce ear damage and hearing degeneration. Normally, experts in sound say that all work environments that workers have to yell to be heard in have a hazardous level of noise. Even though the United States of America has federal laws that are designed to protect employees from being exposed to harmful levels of sound (or to be exposed to high levels of noise for a hazardous period of time), thousands of workers report experiencing noise-related hearing problems every year.

Some jobs carry a higher risk of occupational hearing loss than others:
• Military personnel
• Airline ground crews
• Construction workers
• Police officers, firefighters, and other first responders
• Farmers
• Industrial workers
• Factory workers
• Miners
• Subway and public transportation workers

• Musicians and DJs
• Concert or stadium workers

Hearing loss is usually permanent and can be accompanied by tinnitus, a prolonged ringing in the ears. One's loss of hearing can make it nearly impossible to continue working. Not only that, but it often will drastically alter many areas of your life, from your interactions, to your capacity to finish common tasks, to even what you ultimately get out of life.

It is extremely important to understand that those who suffer from occupational hearing loss or deafness may qualify for workers' compensation benefits in Missouri or Illinois. Whether your hearing was injured over numerous years of being employed at deafening work sites or whether your hearing loss took place during a unique on-the-job event or accident, you may warrant workers' compensation assistance until you are able to go back to work or your employer finds a new more suitable position for you.

Have you or a loved one suffered hearing loss or become deaf because of a noisy work environment? If the answer is yes, you should consult with a Missouri workers' compensation attorney about the likelihood of obtaining assistance for your work-related injury. If your hearing loss workers' compensation claim has recently been denied, it even more important to talk with an Missouri workers' comp lawyer about your case.