If you were to ask, most people would say that they receive a large sense of fulfillment from their jobs. They like the challenge and the ability to help those around them. There are some inherent dangers that can occur in a workplace though. One of the most frequently occurring forms of injury is to the individual’s hearing. Here we will take a closer look at the noisiest workplaces and how they can harm a person’s hearing, with details about ways to prevent damage from occurring.
Mining
Pulling minerals and metals from the earth is a very dangerous and involved process. It is even more complicated when the issue of hearing safety becomes involved. Mining operations use heavy drills and machines to dig into mountains and under bedrock. These extremely loud machines can cause tremendous hearing damage that can be reduced to a quiet rumble with noise-cancelling ear muffs.
Club Worker
Anyone who has ever walked out of a club after a few hours has felt the ringing in their ears and wondered how anyone could stay there all night. It is even more difficult for those who need to be there every night of the week. The blaring music and the loud customers are more than enough to cause hearing damage in the workers on a nightly basis. For the most part, they cannot even wear hearing protection because they are working with clients.
Military
The most difficult and dangerous job in the world is being in the military. From the moment that they arrive in boot camp they have some of the most damaging effects done to their hearing. Screaming drill instructors, gunfire, artillery, and even aircrafts taking off are some of the things that they have to put up with. Even if they never see a battle, most veterans suffer some form of hearing damage from their time in the military.
Airport Ground Team
Being near a plane taking off can make a person go deaf temporarily. That is because a plane taking off can generate upwards of 170 decibels of sound, double the amount that can start causing hearing loss in people. The ground staff at an airport has to deal with over fifty planes taking off on a daily basis. They have hearing protection that can save their hearing, but if it is not properly equipped, then they can suffer hearing loss.
Construction
Another one of the jobs that can cause the greatest amount of hearing loss is construction. Whether you are using a nail gun or a jackhammer, there are many different ways that you can suffer hearing trauma from the tools used in this industry. Fortunately, there are ear plugs that will prevent most damage from occurring, but the problem is getting people to keep them in at the job site.