Industrial Deafness Claims

Industrial Deafness Claims: How to decide if you can claim compensation for hearing damage from continuous noise exposure or a single explosive sound at work

Industrial deafness claims / noise induced hearing loss & tinnitus compensation: Damage to hearing from working in noisy environments is quite common in the UK. Your employer however owes strict duties to safeguard you from excessive exposure to noise at work.

In this article you will discover the simple steps you must go through to decide if you have a compensation claim for noise induced hearing loss and find out how to obtain free specialist solicitor help with your claim.

Our articles addresses the following issues (follow in order or select below to jump to the relevant section).

What are industrial deafness claims?

Work Related Hearing Damage Claim

Work Related Hearing Damage Claim

Industrial deafness is damage to your hearing caused by exposure to loud noise in the workplace: either continuous noise or a single explosive loud noise.

Deafness can range from a ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus, to total deafness.

If your employer can be shown to be “legally responsible” or “legally at fault” for your hearing damage – you will be entitled to make “industrial deafness claims” for compensation from your employer.

What types of working environment can cause industrial deafness?

The normal work environments that can cause industrial deafness, include:

1. Factories with large machines operating continuously

The noise produced by large machines may not at first seem too much of a problem to your hearing, but as time passes it is likely that a gradual deterioration in your hearing will occur.

2. Demolition and construction sites

Demolition sites and construction sites will both produce large amounts of excessive noise – not only continuous noise, but also single explosions when noise levels are far beyond the safe limits.

Employers must safeguard employees hearing by limiting exposure to these noise sources, ensuring ear protection and proper noise reduction training. In the absence of such precautions – employers will leave themselves open to industrial deafness claims from workers.

3. Miners

Whether miners work in the pits using boring equipment, work underground on the bunkers or as a surface worker- exposure to noise can be continuous and immense.

Many miners industrial deafness claims are started many years after the initial noise exposure.

4. Foundry workers

A foundry which processes metal often have machinery and processes which can cause a large amount of excessive continuous noise which can lead to hearing loss.

5. Factory line workers

Factory lines produces large amounts of noise from the operation of heavy metal conveyor belts and machinery at different stages of the manufacturing process. Car factories – are an example of factories which have been known to produce excessive continuous noise.

6. Aeronautical workers

The noise produced by jet engines and other aeronautical equipment should not be underestimated – we have known workers to have received permanent hearing loss from a single explosive incident at work.

7. Call Centre Workers

Some noises on headphones can be very intense and cause acoustic shock hearing damage.

What safety precautions should an employer take to reduce the risk of your exposure to loud noise at work?

If loud noise in the workplace is unavoidable – your employer must find ways of limiting your exposure by, for example, providing adequate hearing protection to all employees and using sound adsorbent materials to lessen the noise levels in the work environment.

How to assess if you have a compensation claim for hearing damage?

If you have suffered hearing damage in the UK and you suspect it has been caused from noise exposure in your working environment – the best way to know to properly assess if you have a potential claim for compensation is by contacting a specialist solicitor.

Be careful to choose an experienced industrial deafness lawyer, so ask the question “are you a qualified practising solicitor?” – before discussing potential industrial deafness claims with anyone who represents themselves to have legal expertise.

How long do you have to start industrial deafness claims?

Generally, there are three years from the date of your injury or the date of knowledge of your injury – to start a claim for compensation. Date of knowledge of injury can depend on your individual circumstances and when you first sought medical assistance with your hearing problems.

Hearing damage may have been suffered many years in the past, perhaps from an employer that is no longer in business, but do not give up on your claim. A specialist industrial deafness solicitor will be able to claim from worker insurance policies that were in existence at the time of your injury and may be able to establish your date of knowledge of injury as being many years later.

No matter how many years have passed – we recommend you have your industrial deafness claim assessed by a specialist solicitor. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that it is not too late to make a claim for compensation.

How do you prove your employer’s liability for industrial deafness claims?

Whether you were exposed to noise in a current workplace or for a former employer many years in the past – it is still possible to show that employer was legally at fault for your hearing damage.

Click industrial deafness employer liability to see the page we have written explaining how to show your employer was legally responsible for how your hearing damage.

How much compensation can you claim for industrial deafness?

The amount of compensation you can claim for industrial deafness depends on the how much hearing loss you have suffered and whether you also have a tinnitus claim (tinnitus is a high pitched whistling or hissing sound in your ears especially noticeable in the quiet of night).

Click industrial deafness to see the page we have written explaining how much compensation industrial deafness claims are worth

See our free online / telephone legal help options – speak direct to a specialist solicitor, ask an online question or have industrial deafness claims assessed online free of charge.