Hey safe & safety managers out there! Never underestimate noise!
According to the WHO, unaddressed hearing loss is the third largest cause of years lived with disability. An estimated US$ 1 trillion is lost every year due to occupational hearing loss. This may be due to the invisible nature of hearing loss.
Here's 3 hard facts about noise-induced loss we've put together:
🟢 #1: It’s accumulative! Daily exposure to noise may eventually cause hearing impairment – for some people even is exposure is below the harmful zone. Every day of continued exposure may add up to permanent hearing loss, without you even realizing the noise level was harmful in the first place. Unfortunately, noise-induced hearing loss is accumulative, so the damage gets worse every time you’re exposed to it.
🟢 #2: Its effects are delayed! It may take years before you notice the negative effects of continuous noise exposure. And by the time you do, it is often too late! Besides permanent hearing loss, you may unknowingly expose yourself to the risk of tinnitus (the perception of sound that does not have an external source) or hyperacusis (high sensitivity to certain sounds). It is therefore important to take the right measures against workplace noise, immediately.
🟢 #3: It’s invisible! Occupational hearing loss has been referred to as “the invisible disability,” not only because of the lack of visible symptoms, but because the danger of noise exposure has been largely overlooked by employers and employees: “What we can’t see doesn’t exist.” Fortunately, attitudes are changing with increasing awareness – yet unaddressed hearing loss remains the third largest cause of years lived with disability.
