Noise is everywhere and part of everyday life, but it’s the noise levels that we are exposed to at work that has the potential to be hazardous to the health of our hearing. Hearing loss impacts our lives.
Hearing loss can also increase the chances of safety incidents and injuries at work, for instance not being able to hear instructions, warnings or vehicle movements can put a person at risk. Loud or hazardous noise at work can lead to temporary or permanent hearing loss or other hearing conditions such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears). It’s not just noise, exposure to vibration or ototoxic substances (chemicals) can also cause hearing loss.
Managing exposure to hazardous noise, vibration and ototoxins and the risk of injury or illness to our team members or other persons in the workplace is part of a business’ Primary Duty of Care under the Work Health and Safety [model] Act 2011 (the Act). The management of all potential sources of risk to hearing loss is important, however, in this edition of InMotion we will be focusing on noise.