Listen to the Info: Occupational Hearing Loss is No Joke!

In the United States alone, over 30 million people are exposed to hazardous or dangerous noise levels in the workplace - and believe it or not, noise-related hearing loss has been noted as one of the largest occupational health hazards for over 25 years. In the past 10 years alone, almost 125,000 workers have sustained serious and permanent damage and/or loss of hearing as a direct result of exposure to excessive noise in the workplace.
 
If you've ever suffered from ringing ears, stuffy ears or any sort of temporary hearing damage from high noise levels then you may want to take note. While the symptoms may only be temporary, repeated occurrences can lead to sudden permanent damage with little or no warning. While many of us may find excessive noise to be more of an annoyance than an actual danger, it's surely something that shouldn't be overlooked.
 
While the hearing damage is usually irreparable, there are other hazards to excessive noise levels that can further expose an individual to health risks on the job, such as physical and psychological stress. Also, excessive noise inhibits the ability to communicate and can be a precursor to unintentional ignorance of other loud sounds that could otherwise be a warning for an immediate unseen danger.
 
It's important that when you're working in an environment with repetitive or sustained noise of an excessive level, you learn to distinguish what's "too loud".
 
How Loud is Too Loud?
• If you're hearing ringing or humming in your ears after leaving the noisy area or after leaching work for the day.
• You have to yell in order to be heard by others who are less than 3 feet away.
• You experience temporary hearing loss at or after work.
 
If you're experiencing any of the above, you're at risk for permanent and irreversible hearing damage and/or complete hearing loss. Don't take this lightly! For more information on how to manage excessive noise and prevent hearing damage or loss, visit the OSHA page for Occupational Noise Exposure where you can read detailed information about the risks.
 
Additionally, keep your ears protected from damaging noise whenever possible with the proper ear protection. There is a variety of ear protection products available that are highly effective at helping to prevent damage to hearing from extreme noise on the job. Hearing loss is a serious matter, please don't underestimate the risk.