October is National Hearing Protection Month, we would like to raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss, and share easy steps that you can take to protect you & your coworker's hearing.
DID YOU KNOW?
Repeated exposure to loud noise over time can damage your hearing—long after exposure has stopped. Hearing loss from loud noise is permanent — and most people don’t notice their hearing is damaged until it’s too late.
SHARE THE FACTS
Use these talking points to communicate with others about noise-related hearing loss:
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Is the noise too loud? If you need to shout to make yourself heard, YES.
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Once you’ve lost your hearing, you can’t get it back
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Signs that you may have hearing loss include:
- Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds (e.g., doorbell, telephone, alarm clock)
- Difficulty understanding conversations in a noisy place.
- Ways to protect your hearing include:
- Turning down the volume
- Taking periodic breaks from noise
- Using hearing protection, such as earplugs and hearing protection earmuffs.
- Talk to your doctor if you are worried about your hearing
BY THE NUMBERS
Sound is measured in decibels (dB). A whisper is about 30 dB, normal conversation is about 60 dB, and a motorcycle engine is about 95 dB. Noise above 70 dB over a prolonged period may start to damage your hearing. Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm.
Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States. Almost twice as many people report hearing loss as report diabetes or cancer. In the United States, about 40 million adults aged 20–69 years have noise-induced hearing loss, and about 1 in 4 adults who report “excellent to good” hearing already have hearing damage.
Think that hearing damage is usually workplace-related? Activities away from work can damage hearing just as much as a noisy job. Over half of all adults with hearing damage do not have noisy jobs.
The average person is born with about 16,000 hair cells within their inner ear. These cells allow your brain to detect sounds. Damaged inner ear cells do not grow back. So, protect your hearing, and if you already have hearing loss, or are experiencing pain, discomfort, or ringing in the ears, take steps to keep it from getting worse.
PREVENT & PROTECT FROM HEARING LOSS
WHILE ON THE JOBSITE GET THE RIGHT GEAR
