Noise Induced Deafness

[drjim]

I am unfortunate enough to suffer from a condition called otosclerosis - basically rust around the tiny bones of the inner ear - I use the word rust to make it obvious and of course metal related When my hearing first started fading at age 22 I wondered whether spending a couple of summer holidays drilling holes in walls to put fire alarm cables up had contributed - probably not was the answer, and couldn't prove anything anyway.

I have had hearing aids since 2004 when I was really struggling to cope with meetings etc at work. I could do the Doctor patient stuff, but a boardroom with the chief exec etc was impossible, if not embarrasing.

My hearing has deteriorated since then, and the aids are now cranked up to max power. I could have an operation, but they'd only do one ear, and I don't like the idea anyway. If one of the aids breaks I struggle, if two break - as happened last year - I effectively cannot work.

I tend to wear ear defenders when grinding etc, as I want to protect what I have left. If your ears still work normally, then I would insist you do the same. I can assure you that wearing hearing aids is socially different to wearing glasses, so look after your ears.

 

[Hitch]

Drifting off on a tangent for a second, anyone seen the film 'Its all gone Pete Tong' About Frankie Wilde?

 

[drjim]

Yep and it is thought provoking especially when you're halfway there yourself.

 

[dazzis]

yup i have a 95% loss in both ears and tinnitus, it's something you just get on with as (a) the noises aint going anywhere and (b)yer hearing aint coming back , it does make me chuckle when people try to get a payout for stuff like this as ear defenders have always been available and imo if people were too stupid to wear em well hearing loss is thier just deserts.
my tinnitus is the direct result of not wearing ear defenders whilt on exercise so it my own fault and i have to live with the consequences of my own stupidity nuff said

Oh n forgot to say someone asked me, if i could have my hearing back and my tinnitus gone would i , in short the answer is no i think to have full hearing and the noises gone would scare me to death, you get used to not hearing stuff there could be a riot in my garden and i wouldnt know about it

 

[Shox Dr]

I've always used ear protection, however in my last job you couldn't hear your partner if you wore them, for parts of the job. Not my fault (I was only there for 2 yrs because of the noise, and a few other reasons), I dont see why I should not be compensated for that loss. And Im far from stupid, thank you.

 

[dazzis]

I've always used ear protection, however in my last job you couldn't hear your partner if you wore them, for parts of the job. Not my fault (I was only there for 2 yrs because of the noise, and a few other reasons), I dont see why I should not be compensated for that loss. And Im far from stupid, thank you.

So basically you chose to remove your provided protection in a noisy enviroment, so technically it is your fault.

I can claim compo for my hearing loss but refuse to do it as its totally down to me for not wearing protection

 

[Shox Dr]

They were told you couldn't do the job, wearing protection. It wasn't the job we were doing that was making the noise it was others around us, on a production line.

As for removing my protection, I didn't have a choice, I either wore them and the job didn't get done, thus receiving a disciplinary/sack, or take them off and keep your job.

You are suggesting "Contributory Negligence". I don't agree. Even if it was they are still to blame, a court may reduce the claim by 20% because of this


I leave it at that.

 

[English Steve]

I have a similar problem to Gavuk - If there is much ambient noise I can't hear what people are saying, just a mumble. I gave up watching the TV because I couldn't hear it properly (and most of it is rubbish anyway), and often struggle at meetings etc. Mrs ES keeps nagging me to get my hearing checked, but I really don't want to end up wearing hearing aids so keep putting it off.

Hearing has been a long-standing problem in my family, and as a child I had a perforated ear drum. Since then I have always worked around industrial diesels (apprentice at Petters), raced motorcycle with little/no silencers and shoot fairly regularly with a 12g. I always wear defenders when operating noisy machinery and when shooting clays, but it's not practical when game shooting because I find they upset my balance.

I suppose I ought to get checked, but ...

 

[gavuk]

Strange thing is Steve i've done the test a 3 times ,and each time you are sat in a sound insulated booth,wearing headphones,and they play a sound and you press a button when you hear it.It is supposed to be quiet no ambient noise,so it doesn't test your ability to hear voices above background noise....To me it often sounds like people are mumbling ,and i find myself asking them to repeat themselves,like you used to shoot 12bore,ride bikes,etc........i try to wear hearing protection whenever i can now,while i still have some hearing left,would find it difficult to blame anyone else but myself for my hearing though as its not all work related......I have passed the hearing tests by the way..........

 

[Bullyterrier]

I have tinnitus, some days worse than others. Some nights I can't get to sleep, with the white noise going on. And my wife is always moaning I have the tv up too load, and not hearing her. I put it down to working in night clubs for years. One time we had health and safety come to the club and issue the doormen with measuring devices to wear so they could measure the levels...How can you work a club with ear defenders!! we already had radios with earpieces in one ear which had to be cranked up to maximum to hear each other. So I placed them by the entrance door for the whole week.... Health and safety must have thought we were the quietest club in the world! Never heard from them again. If you go to work in that kind of environment you have to expect the problems. I still don't use ear protection when working with the grinder and hammering steel with the compressor going, I should but I just cant get on with them.

 

[English Steve]

Hi Gav, I did that test around 14 or 15 years ago when working for Thames Water. As you say, it doesn't mimic real life or test your ability to filter different sounds out. Like you, I couldn't blame any particular employer or event - it's just my chosen career and lifestyle that has caused my problem.
On the brighter side, I sleep well because I don't hear any noises. My wife often digs me in the ribs and says "did you here that noise?" to which the answer is usually "no, I must have had my good ear in the pillow" - really winds her up sometimes

 

[Seano]

I suffer from tinnitus after years in ships engine rooms, and that was with cans on too, still gets through, I hate sitting in quiet rooms like reading the papers or books, with no other noise around (live in the country so pretty quiet)

Sean.

 

[Sparkey]

I suffer from tinnitus after years in ships engine rooms, and that was with cans on too, still gets through, I hate sitting in quiet rooms like reading the papers or books, with no other noise around (live in the country so pretty quiet)

Sean.

I'm not sure about this, Sean but i've been told if you put the telly on a channel were's nothing on but the white snowy thingy it makes the tinnitus less annoying...(hope you know what i mean...i don't know the english expression for it)

 

[Archie]

Since then I have always worked around industrial diesels (apprentice at Petters), raced motorcycle with little/no silencers and shoot fairly regularly with a 12g. I always wear defenders when operating noisy machinery and when shooting clays, but it's not practical when game shooting because I find they upset my balance.

I once went a whole morning without ear defenders after I left them 'back at the ranch'. Couldn't hear a thing out of my right ear all afternoon and evening. Fortunately (or unfortunately) it came back in time for me to hear my alarm the following morning!

I've always worn ear defenders doing anything noisier than sitting on a tractor. Probably ought to wear them then too. My father is getting deafer and deafer. Apparently it has been caused by repeated use of 2-stroke machinery without headphones. He's started wearing them now but the horse has definitely bolted! Anyway, I have experienced how annoying it is to have to shout at someone when they're three feet away and I don't want to be that person in years to come!

 

[malcolm]

I should reply here really. What with me doing acoustics for a living I might be able to offer a little information.

It's useful in society to be able to hear people when they speak to you. But if you are not able to pick up what people say in noisy pubs it can very often be due to a common "condition" that affects about 1 in 5 of us from birth. I forget what it's called, but if I recall correctly it's down to the brain more than the ears and it will make you a better musician (or a better acoustics engineer).

But the ears are also very fragile, and they don't repair themselves if they are damaged. They do get damaged every day through normal use, but should last most people out unless you get to be very old.

It doesn't take much to damage to the ear. Personally I wear good quality ear defenders (cheap ones are rubbish) when using electric tools or hammers, and ear plugs when driving the MG, but then there's nothing less employable than a deaf acoustics engineer.

Tinnitus is at the more severe end of the scale and comes from an awfully high or sustained exposure to noise. It's very annoying and there's not a lot that can be done about it. Hopefully most of us will only suffer from hearing loss.

I have an acoustic friend who works for H&S. He's given me some info that I'm planning to translate and put up onto the site at some point in the summer. Until then There's advice about it on the H&S noise site

 

[Sparkey]

But if you are not able to pick up what people say in noisy pubs it can very often be due to a common "condition" that affects about 1 in 5 of us from birth. I forget what it's called, but if I recall correctly it's down to the brain more than the ears and it will make you a better musician (or a better acoustics engineer).

I think i have that too? have to be really close to people to make out what they say! When i have to speak and understand french at work it's even worse, really must concentrate then!

ps: translate from what language Malc? i might be able to help you out?

 

[gavuk]

Hasn't made me a better musician.....i'll get my coat

 

[Sparkey]

Hasn't made me a better musician.....i'll get my coat

Really?? sing us a tune Gav!

 

[malcolm]

ps: translate from what language Malc? i might be able to help you out?

Translate from health and safety language into plain English. My belief is people will automatically ignore people speaking health and safety language because they come across as gits.

But they do have a fair bit of useful information to offer that might be worth a read if it wasn't quite so long winded and legal. I'm hoping to summarise the main points and offer it somewhere for folk on the forum to read if they are interested.

 

[Sparkey]

Translate from health and safety language into plain English. My belief is people will automatically ignore people speaking health and safety language because they come across as gits.
But they do have a fair bit of useful information to offer that might be worth a read if it wasn't quite so long winded and legal. I'm hoping to summarise the main points and offer it somewhere for folk on the forum to read if they are interested and want to.

Haha, yes you do have a point there!
Because it's soooo boring and long winded, it's difficult to stay focussed too, and normally people stop reading at that point! You'll have to make it interesting to read and easy to understand too i guess...well, good luck on thatone...