Director of Occupational Safety and Health with the Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America, Travis Parsons, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss National Protect Your Hearing Month. Parsons talked about the warning signs for hearing damage and ways to protect against it.
One in four building trades workers is affected by hearing loss. From hearing their family at home to certain tones being inaudible, several issues stem from not taking the proper precautions to protect your hearing. Anything above 85 decibels is considered hazardous noise, and with several hours of exposure above that level, it only takes 15-20 years to lose your hearing. With higher decibel levels, the damage done increases, and once your hearing is gone, there’s no getting it back without hearing aids, Parsons said.
The initial sign of hearing loss is often a ringing in your ear or tinnitus. This is your body warning that you’ve suffered hearing damage, Parsons said. To help protect from further damage, workers should wear their hearing protection and even bring up the issues to a workplace safety person. Ensuring workers are using the proper protection for the noise levels in the workplace and having the area tested for noise levels is crucial to protecting workers' hearing.
It’s not only building trades that need to be concerned with hearing damage. Trades that have loud, sudden noises and loud music are also impacted. These impact noises can also be experienced outside the workplace, like at gun ranges, sporting events and concerts. Parsons cautions anyone suffering from tinnitus or struggling to hear noises to get their hearing tested to prevent further damage.
To learn more ways to protect your hearing, please press play above.