The Occupational Disease & Injury Company Limited

What is industrial/occupational deafness?

Many employers have failed to follow the Government guidance relating to noise at work. As a result, tens of thousands of employees have had their hearing damaged, either by operating machinery or simply working in a noisy factory. Whilst industrial deafness is usually caused by the repeated exposure to excessive noise, it can be caused by a one time exposure to loud sound.

If the noise to which you were exposed at work was so loud that you had to shout to make yourself heard, then the chances are that your hearing was damaged by your employment. Harmful noise exposure can cause nerve damage or damage to the sensitive hair cells of the inner ear, resulting in deafness or tinnitus (a ringing or whistling in the ears).

Sound is measured in units called decibels. Normal conversation is approximately 60 decibels. Exposure to harmful sounds of about 85 decibels (dB) may be hazardous even if it only lasts for a short period. However, increased decibels and exposure time raise the chances of damage and the damage being more severe. With further exposure to excessive noise, the more the damage can accumulate.

Asbestosis

Asbestos, now illegal to use in buildings, was used extensively in the past. Buildings built before 2000 (e.g. houses, factories, hospitals and schools) may contain asbestos. If you have worked in an environment where you were exposed to asbestos over a number of years (e.g. demolition work, plumbing or lagging), you could be at a high risk of developing asbestosis or a similarly related condition and potentially have a claim.

Occupational Asthma

Occupational asthma can occur following prolonged exposure to substances at work, often specific to that industry (e.g. isocyanates, from the manufacture of paint, polyurethane foam, adhesives or surface coatings). When the bronchi tubes in the lungs are irritated, the airways narrow making it difficult to breath. This may cause wheezing or coughing and the chest become tight. The narrowing can be reversible, with the aid of inhalers.

Industrial Deafness

Industrial deafness is usually caused by the repeated exposure to excessive noise at work. Because hearing deteriorates gradually, the sufferer may not be aware that noise-induced hearing loss has occurred. Symptoms can include distorted or muffled sounds and difficulty in understanding speech, particularly in a crowded room. A simple hearing test can tell you if you suffer from noise-induced hearing loss.

Occupational Dermatitis

Occupational dermatitis affects virtually all industries and businesses. Initial symptoms can be redness, itching, scaling and blistering, but the skin can crack or bleed. Dermatitis can be severe enough to keep you off work and serious enough to force you to have to change your job. When spotted quickly and adequate precautions are taken, most people can make a full recovery. However, some people are affected for life.

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome

This condition is caused by the repeated and frequent use of hand held vibrating tools. Symptoms of white finger (VWF) may start when your hands get cold. To begin with, attacks are usually occasional and cause the fingertips to become white. However, with additional vibrations, the injury becomes worse. Sometimes, a person may only suffer with sensory nerve damage, developing problems of pins and needles or numbness in their fingers.

Claim Form