Think You’re Not at Risk for Hearing Loss in the Workplace? These Statistics May Surprise You

Our sense of hearing is something that we may take for granted. Hearing enables us to do so many things in our daily life, including communicating, enjoying life, and helps us survive and stay out of danger. However, hearing health is something that many Louisiana workers may not think much about during their busy workdays. Indeed, the failure to take care of our ears and hearing on the job – especially in extremely noisy workplaces – can cause us to be hearing impaired, and potentially to lose our ability to hear all together. But just how risky can Louisiana workplaces be to workers when it comes to their sense of hearing? To help Louisiana workers better understand the impacts of noisy workplaces on workers’ sense of hearing, we provide the following, perhaps surprising, statistics.

The Numbers Do Not Lie When it Comes to the Impacts of Noisy Workplaces on Worker Hearing Loss

According to the Hearing Health Foundation and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an estimated whopping 30 million workers in the United States are exposed to extreme noise levels on the job – noise levels that are high enough to potentially cause hearing loss that is permanent. Accordingly, the United States Bureau of Labor (BLS) and Statistics finds that more than 20,000 workers are the victims of hearing loss in the workplace, and that some of those cases will lead to irreversible loss of hearing. While hearing loss can also occur in our daily lives, just under an estimated one-quarter (24%) of all hearing loss cases result from workplace noise exposure, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Thus, NIOSH makes the recommendation that workers should not be exposed to noise levels in the workplace that are more than 65 decibels in 8 continuous hours.

Hearing loss may also have a significant impact on a worker’s earning power. According to the Hearing Health Foundation, hearing loss can lead to a $30,000 decrease on a worker’s annual income, and workers with hearing loss earned approximately 25% less than their non-hearing-impaired peers.

In sum, noisy workplaces can lead to long-term hearing impairment that can not only impact a workers’ health and life, but also their wages or salary.

Legal Help for Workers with Hearing Loss in Louisiana

If your hearing has become impaired due to your workplace in Louisiana, it is important to speak with an experienced Louisiana hearing loss lawyer as soon as possible about your rights and options to Louisiana workers’ compensation benefits. You may be entitled to wage replacement compensation, medical expense reimbursement, and other important money compensation under Louisiana workers’ compensation laws. The experienced Louisiana hearing loss lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your workplace hearing loss case to see if they can help fight to get you workers’ compensation benefits due. Contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak to a lawyer about your case for free.

Source:

hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-in-the-workplace