Noise Compliance at what Cost?
Date: 28/7/08 05:09
“Polisher from Leeds secures £6,500 compensation in deafness claim”
A medical implants manufacturer has been ordered to pay £6500 in compensation to Mr Alan Gosling, aged 39, who worked for them as a fitter/polisher. Mr Gosling, from Leeds, suffered Noise Induced Hearing Loss. His daily job involved working on spindles to grind and finish surgical implant components. All of the spindles give off high levels of noise whilst in use. Other sources of noise came from shot blast machines which were situated approximately 10 feet away from where he worked.

Alan Gosling explained: “Despite the high levels of noise we were exposed to at the factory, ear protection was not mandatory until around January 2001. I wasn’t aware of the long term damage this could cause and sadly I now suffer from noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus, which affects my day to day life.”

Claims such as this are becoming increasingly frequent and, with the amnesty for the music and entertainments industry coming to an end on 6th April this year, it isn’t just the heavy industry sector which needs to pay attention. Pubs and clubs will also need to start looking after the hearing of their staff.

Seggy Segaran, Managing Director at leading Health and Safety firm First Stop Safety, said: “We are seeing more and more successful Noise Induced Hearing Loss claims throughout the UK, and this trend seems set to continue over the coming years. It isn’t just the traditional factory environments which have noise at work issues. Any working environment which is subjected to excessive noise needs to take steps to safeguard their workers’ health.”

Mr Segaran went on to say. “This doesn’t need to be expensive, and it doesn’t need to be difficult. Noise at Work surveys can be carried out in-house, as can hearing tests. A company however large or small can save considerable sums of money compared with hiring in consultants or specialist companies. They can safeguard their staff from hearing loss, and themselves from time consuming litigation.”

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