Listen Up: Prevent Hearing Loss
The facts sound bad. The problem is, though, that the workers who are impacted have a hard time hearing the facts. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH):
- 51% of construction workers have been exposed to hazardous levels of noise.
- 52% of those construction workers exposed to hazardous levels of noise report not wearing hearing protection.
Because of this:
- About 14% of construction workers have difficulty hearing.
- About 7% of construction workers have tinnitus.
- About 25% of construction workers have hearing impairment that impacts their day-to-day activities.
There are more than 8.2 million construction workers across the country. This means:
- About half million of them have tinnitus.
- 1.2 million of them have difficulty hearing.
- More than 2 million of them have hearing loss that affects their daily activities.
These numbers are both unfortunate and preventable if more construction workers wear hearing protection.
“Having worked in construction most of my life, I operated power tools from an early age. The unfortunate price I am paying now for not wearing hearing protection back then is tinnitus in both ears today,” said Bryant Seymour, a safety and occupational health specialist in the OSHA Directorate of Construction.
Seymour began his career in construction more than 30 years ago. He has worked for and owned construction companies over those years. Several of his jobs were in construction safety, such as being the project manager of an asbestos removal crew on a military base when he was 18 years old. He has worked as a safety professional at OSHA since 2012. Now, he wants to use his experience to keep workers safe.
“Like so many people, when I was young, I thought I was bulletproof, so I did not feel the need to wear hearing protection. I knew better, but I just didn’t want to,” said Seymour.
That way of thinking has long-term effects, which OSHA is working to prevent.
“Hearing conservation in construction is more than just safeguarding workers’ hearing. It’s about maintaining their long-term health and allowing them to carry out their tasks with focus and clarity,” said Terra Gaines, an industrial hygienist at OSHA. “Consistent use of hearing protection and regular monitoring helps prevent irreversible damage, which improves quality of life of life beyond the workplace.”
Seymour wants all construction supervisors to instill that message of consistent use in their work crews.
“Leaders should make young workers, who feel like it won’t happen to them, use their hearing protection. If you want to be an effective leader, it’s your responsibility to tell those crews not just to wear, but why to wear it,” said Seymour. “This issue impacts all facets of life. You take this home with you.”
October is National Protect Your Hearing Month, an ideal time to learn more about hearing loss caused by high noise levels and how to prevent it. Visit OSHA’s Hearing Loss in Construction page to learn more about protecting the hearing of construction workers.
