Workers’ compensation for workers experiencing hearing loss

On Behalf of | Nov 11, 2019 | Workers' Compensation |

Depending on the nature of a person’s job, he or she may face certain risks when at work. Sometimes, this is the risk of an accident or other things that may cause a physical injury. In other cases, it may be the risk of becoming ill due to occupational exposure. Certain Delaware workers may face the risk of hearing loss because of their work, which could be grounds for a workers’ compensation claim.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tens of millions of workers face the risk of hearing loss at work because of dangerous noise levels. Often, the noise levels that could potentially damage a person’s hearing are actually lower than what many people think is too loud. This means it is possible workers who should be wearing hearing protection may not think they need it.

Professionals say that people who are exposed to noise levels at 85 decibels or higher for multiple hours at a time should have some sort of hearing protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that workers should not be exposed to noise decibels of 85 or higher for more than eight hours at a time. Essentially, the louder the noise a worker is close to, the shorter the amount of time he or she should be around it. It is the responsibility of each Delaware employer to make sure that workers are as safe as reasonably possible, including providing hearing protection when necessary.

Long-term exposure to loud noise can lead to permanent or temporary hearing loss. If this is related to a person’s job, he or she could have grounds to seek benefits through a workers’ compensation claim. It may help an injured workers to first learn more about his or her legal rights and what to expect from the claims process.