Did you know that 42% of Canadians aged 16 to 79 years have worked in an environment where it’s necessary to speak in a raised voice just to communicate with someone standing an arm’s length away? Among them, only 22% consistently used hearing protection.
About Hearing Loss in the Workplace
The most common type of hearing loss, called sensorineural hearing loss, occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or the nerve pathways that leads from the ear to the brain. This type of hearing loss can be a result of extended exposure to loud and prolonged noise without the use of hearing protection, often experienced in work environments.
Effects of Hearing Loss on the Individual
Hearing conservation and the protection of workers should be a top priority for all Canadian employers. According to Statistics Canada, hearing loss is one of the most prevalent and fastest growing chronic conditions facing Canadians today.
Hearing loss can have a range of emotional and social effects on the individual including:
- Social isolation
- Depression
- Safety issues
- Mobility limitations
Goals of Hearing Conservation Programs
Hearing conservation in the workplace is achieved through a combination of factors: access of information and legislation; employer responsibility; and protocol compliance by the workforce.
In serving both the employee and the employer, Horizon Occupational Health Solutions hearing conservation programs aim to:
- protect the worker from work-noise related permanent damage to hearing and ensure compliance with the legislation
- detect any changes in hearing so that remedial action may be taken to prevent further deterioration
- detect early hearing loss and to provide education and personal protection equipment to prevent further loss
- insure the worker is placed in a job safely and there is no risk to himself or others
Spread the word and print out the Horizon Hearing Conservation Poster to post in your workplace break room. To download the PDF, click here.
For more information about Horizon hearing conservation programs, email us at marketing@horizonohs.com
