Listen to the warnings

POSTED: August 06, 2009

Listen to the warnings

Imagine joining in a conversation and being met with a deafening silence because you haven’t quite heard all that was said and have misunderstood. One in six Australians currently suffer from some form of hearing loss – don’t be among them.

Noise induced hearing loss is preventable and yet it is the most common occupational illness in the world.

Exposure to excessive levels of noise without protection is a hazard that, over time, seriously damages your hearing. There is no cure; however it can be easily prevented provided you understand how your hearing works and how to protect it.

Mobile & Marine Maintenance & Planning Superintendent Brian Warrener, from Pannawonica, described hearing as “something you can’t understand until you don’t have it”. In our DVD Listen to the warnings, Brian talked candidly about feeling embarrassed and withdrawing from social groups because of his hearing difficulties.

Brian also has symptoms of Tinnitus, a physical condition causing noise or ringing sounds in the ears or head. He said the emotional and psychological distress of hearing loss had impacted on his quality of life.

Also featured in the DVD is Robe River Mining & PI Infrastructure Organisation Resources Health and Safety Manager, Simone Willshire who explained that “without sound, you are less connected to the world around you”. Simone urged employees to wear the right protective gear, wear it correctly and encourage others to do the same.

Rio Tinto is committed to leading practice on noise and vibration reduction in the workplace and in addition to providing protective wear such as earplugs and ear muffs, control rooms on site are sound-proofed and remote noise monitors are in use.

Deafness Forum's Hearing Awareness Week runs from August 23-29. The theme for this year is “at home, at work, at play – one in six”, a timely reminder that one in six Australians suffer from some form of hearing loss. For more information about activities go to www.hearingawarenessweek.org.au

Here are five steps you can take to help protect yourself from hearing loss when wearing an iPOD:

Limit the volume of your iPod to 60 decibels (db), about two-thirds of the maximum volume.
Try to limit listening to no more than 60 minutes a day.
Wear sound-isolating or noise-cancelling headphones that fit over the ear, instead of ear buds that are inserted directly in the ear. This is because when using ear buds, you still hear the external noise.You turn up the volume to drown out the noise, boosting the sound signals by as much as six to nine decibels over the noise. You can hear the music from your iPod, but you are unaware of the excessive volume.
If you are experiencing tinnitus (ringing in the ears), muffled sound after listening to your iPod, or you are having difficulty hearing conversations, speak to your area health advisor or visit your doctor and ask for a hearing test.

Visit 4hearingloss.com for more information or Click here to view Listen to the Warnings »

Pilbara Health

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Listen to the warnings

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