There are some fantastic jobs out there that involve high levels of noise. Maybe you work as a roadie for your favorite metal band. Perhaps you fly stars around in a private helicopter. Or maybe you travel the world on an ocean-going vessel.
None of those career choices will seem so fantastic in retrospect if they cost you your hearing.
Hearing loss is a real problem across many industries. What’s worse is that by the time people realize they have damaged their hearing, it is typically already too late to save it.
How loud is too loud?
The critical limit is 85 decibels. That is the official definition of loud. If you need to shout for someone to hear you from three feet away, then your surroundings are already above that limit.
Most ears can cope with the occasional bout of loud noise, so the risk comes down to how loud something is and how long you are exposed to it. A one-off blast could cost you your hearing because it is so loud, even though it lasts less than a second.
Yet the reason most people suffer workplace-related hearing loss is down to constant exposure. A heavy metal roadie might be fine for the first few years, yet after 15 years of constantly standing next to speaker stacks all night, he may have serious hearing issues. The same applies to people on ships, in factories or in other noisy workplaces.
If you have suffered hearing damage, seek legal help to understand more about your options for claiming worker’s compensation.