Ear injuries can develop in workers if exposed to 85 dB or more over eight hours. As a result, this 85 dB exposure limit for an eight-hour workday has become a standard in the mining, construction, oil-gas well drilling, and agriculture industries, as well as H.M. Armed Forces. Loss of hearing caused by excessively loud or prolonged noises is called NIHL, or noise induced hearing loss.

How loud is “loud”?
To measure the loudness of sound, a unit of measurement called a decibel (dB) is used.

Sound Reference Chart

Noise Exposure Time Limitations
Combinations of noise exposure levels and maximum duration time are expressed in the table below:

If daily noise levels reach 80 dB

Your employer must:

• Tell you about the risks, and explain how you can protect your ears.
• Provide ear protectors for you to use and keep them in good working order.
• Make every effort to reduce noise levels as far as possible, by modifying or replacing equipment and maintaining it regularly. Noisy machinery may need to be enclosed so that the sound is muffled.

Many employers have failed to follow the Government guidance resulting in tens of thousands of employees suffering with industrial deafness.

Therefore, if you receive diagnosis of suffering from industrial deafness or believe that you have suffered hearing loss and were exposed to noise during the course of your employment then you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries.