This year, 6th-12th February is Tinnitus Awareness Week. It’s an annual event designed to draw attention to one of the country’s most common forms of hearing damage.
As an employer, the law requires you to eliminate or reduce harmful noise exposure as far as practicable. We’re sure you’re keen to do this, but the dangers aren’t always easy to spot. Here are some things to look out for, and the steps you can take to keep everyone safe.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a form of auditory hallucination. That is to say, the sensation of hearing a sound that has no external source. The exact experience varies from person to person, but the most common sounds are ringing, whistling, hissing and buzzing.
These sounds can be constant or intermittent, and may be heard in one ear or both. The volume may also vary, sometimes getting so loud that sufferers are unable to sleep or converse normally. In these cases, stress, depression and anxiety are common side effects.
Tinnitus affects an estimated six million people in the UK, and this number is expected to rise to six and a half million by 2029. Over a million people consult their GP about tinnitus every year, and annual treatments cost the NHS £750 million.
What causes tinnitus?
There are a number of factors that can lead to the development of tinnitus:
- Damage to the ears caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises
- Age-related hearing loss
- An inner ear condition known as Meniere’s disease
- Conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and thyroid disorders
- Taking certain antibiotics, chemotherapy medicines and anti-inflammatory drugs
When tinnitus is a side-effect of another condition, or a reaction to a medicine, it will usually clear up on its own. However, when it is caused by damage to the ears, it can become permanent. This is the kind of tinnitus most likely to be related to noise exposure in the workplace.
Which employees are most at risk?
Although tinnitus doesn’t always originate at work, working conditions are a factor in many cases. The HSE estimates that 170,000 UK employees suffer from deafness, tinnitus or other ear conditions caused by a loud working environment. Since 2019, an average of 11,000 new cases of this type have been recorded each year.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of these cases are found in construction, manufacturing and engineering. Within these industries, there are certain tasks that carry an especially high risk:
- Operating power tools or heavy machinery
- Using explosives or firearms
- Performing tasks that involve multiple impacts, such as hammering or drop forging
Heavy industry is bound to generate a lot of noise, but there are also risks in more traditional working environments. If noise feels intrusive for most of the working day or employees have to raise their voices to communicate when standing two metres apart, you may need to take steps to manage noise levels in your workplace.
What can I do to reduce the risks?
Managing workplace noise falls under The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. This legislation makes it the duty of every employer to protect the hearing of their workers. In order to comply, you should take the following actions:
- Consider potential hearing damage when carrying out risk assessments for new tasks
- Ensure that heavy equipment is used in line with safety instructions
- Provide hearing protection for loud tasks and make sure that it is always used
- Provide information and training on the best ways to avoid hearing damage
- Encourage employees to report any hearing loss or other auditory complaints immediately
Further help from our experts
Tinnitus can be extremely harmful to both physical and mental health. If you have any doubts about your noise safety procedures, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We can help you assess the risks and implement the correct actions to combat them.
