An increasing number of employees suffer work-related injuries every year. In 2023, 2.6 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses were reported in the United States alone, resulting in millions paid by businesses in worker’s comp. This includes hearing-related concerns like noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) both require hearing protection by law. From a compliance perspective, as well as from an occupational health perspective, providing protection for employees is essential.
Let’s be clear: An injured workforce is not beneficial to anyone. Not the employee hurt, their family or your company's bottom line. Making sure you have the proper protective equipment to keep team members safe is the best way to avoid workplace injury and worker’s comp claims.
For 50 years, Protect Ear has helped thousands of businesses do exactly that. The three areas proven to result in most effectively reducing hearing-related injuries are prevention, detection and intervention. Let’s break each of these measures down to explore why they are important and how they can work for your team.
As with any serious injury, the goal is to prevent hearing loss from occurring altogether. Protective measures are effective at achieving this goal. First, limit workers’ exposure to loud noises. This looks like adjusting operation schedules, allowing breaks and designing equipment and spaces that are as quiet as possible.
When sounds can’t be managed with engineered controls, it's critical for workers to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when exposed to harmful noise. Keep in mind that not all PPE is designed for industrial use. At decibels regularly found in demanding environments like construction sites and warehouses, more robust protection is needed.
Custom hearing protection, like dB Blockers, matches the protection to the noise level. Tailored to each individual’s ear, they ensure maximum protection and long-term wearability that standard ear plugs and ear muffs can’t match.
Along with prevention, detection plays a crucial role in protecting workers’ hearing. Audiologists recommended annual hearing screening and employee assessments to catch signs of hearing loss, including humming or ringing in ears and needing to shout when addressing someone in close range.
Undetected hearing loss can put employees and employers alike at risk by leading to workplace accidents, injuries and a breakdown in communication between team members. Remember to monitor for noise levels on-site as well as the individual hearing of employees. Tracking the average noise levels in a given area can indicate when extra precautions need to be taken.
Over the course of a worker’s career, hearing loss can become more prevalent. Once detected, early interventions should be taken. Simply put, don’t wait until hearing loss gets worse before taking action! In some cases, follow-up appointments are necessary to diagnose and treat hearing loss and should be scheduled as soon as possible.
Prevention, detection and early intervention not only protect employees’ health but can also reduce potential liability and costs associated with hearing loss claims. It’s never too early (or too late) to put these protective practices in place.
Protect Ear has the tools and experience to implement hearing protection in your workplace. As North America’s largest manufacturer of custom industrial hearing protection, safeguarding hearing is our sole mission.
By focusing exclusively on advancing hearing conservation technology, we’ve developed cutting-edge solutions that offer unparalleled hearing protection. Contact a representative to see how custom hearing protection can work for your company.
Looking for proven ways to keep your workforce healthy and safe? Protect Ear has the solutions! Reach out today.