America’s Most Common Occupational Injury

Every workplace presents some degree of hazard to the employed. Depending on your job and work environment, these dangers may range from minor to severe. A desk worker, for example, may be prone to complications from carpal tunnel or prolonged periods of inactivity. Alternatively, a construction worker may sustain bodily harm while working at a site build. However, the most common workplace injury can effect people in a variety of professions.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, hearing loss is the most prevalent workplace injury, with nearly 22 million U.S. workers experiencing unsafe noise exposure. When we take into consideration the impact hearing loss can have on an individual’s overall health, the toll of occupational hearing loss is significant.

In order to reduce noise exposure in the workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed regulations for employers. This is a necessary starting point; however, some argue it does not provide enough protection for employees, as these regulations do not factor in the sound exposure that occurs outside of the work environment. When considering external noise sources—bars, sporting events, concerts and restaurants, for example—the overall sound exposure can be much more harmful.

Additionally, many employees report that noise protection is not heavily enforced within their work environments. So, while an employer may provide hearing protection, they may not be required to educate their employees on the risks associated with noise exposure. They may also overlook employees who have removed their hearing protection. When there is little desire to take preventive measures, both the employer and the employed suffer the consequences. It has been estimated that the annual compensation for hearing loss disability equals $242 million. Meanwhile, employees are left to endure a lifetime of hearing loss. Seeing as hearing loss has been linked to a number of other conditions—including anxiety, social withdrawal, cognitive decline and depression—this comes at a significant cost to the employed.

In order to address this growing issue, employees and employers alike must understand the impacts of noise exposure in the workplace. We encourage those in our community to speak with an audiologist to learn more about this topic. You might be surprised to discover there are hazardous noise levels present in your professional or personal life. To find out more about occupational hearing loss, or to find out about hearing loss treatments inOregon, speak with our staff today at (503) 222-3638!