According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), 30 million people in the U.S. are exposed to dangerous levels of noise at work. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that about 22 million people are exposed to hazardous noise levels on-the-job and nine million more are exposed to chemicals that are known to damage hearing. Industrial hearing loss is a very serious health concern and employers, in high noise industries, are required to take steps to minimize the risk.
New Jersey Gun Maker Fined for OSHA Violations
Employers are required to implement what OSHA refers to as “an effective hearing conservation program” under the following conditions:
- In general industry, when workers are exposed to 85 dBA or greater for eight hours
- In construction, when workers are exposed to more than 90 dBA for eight hours
On July 29, 2016, OSHA cited Henry RAC Holding Corp. for numerous violations and proposed a $45,000 fine for:
- Failure to take measures to protect workers’ hearing
- Failing to provide annual training on hazardous noise
- Failure to follow up after employees suffered serious hearing loss
Signs of Occupational Hearing Loss
If you have suffered work-related hearing loss, you may be entitled to compensation. Signs of occupational hearing loss include:
- Tinnitus – hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring, droning, pings, cricket sounds, or ticking noises
- Missing parts of a conversation
- Difficulty hearing people talk when there is background noise
- Having to play the TV or radio at levels others say are very loud, in order to hear properly
- Partner complains of being ignored
- Lack of hearing in one or both ears
- Temporary or permanent lack of hearing
If you have suffered industrial hearing loss, help is available Please contact AccidentAttorneys.org to be put in touch with a highly credentialed, local workers’ compensation attorney.
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