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Dangerous on-the-job noise exposure may cause work-related hearing loss. What can Kansas City workers do?

As every concert-goer knows, exposure to loud noises can cause a temporary hearing loss or temporary ringing in one’s ears. The effects usually go away within minutes after the noise stops. But, when workers are exposed to loud sounds day after day for many years, the hearing loss and ringing can become permanent. These workers may ultimately end up losing their hearing.

More than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a daily basis. These sounds can affect physical health, mental health and, of course, hearing. About one-third of the 28 million Americans with some level of hearing loss have lost their hearing because of excess noise.

How does this happen? All sounds are produced by little vibrations in the air. Our ears catch these sound vibrations and send them to the cochlea, a small chamber in the inner ear filled with thousands of tiny hair cells. The hair cells send the sound signals through the nerves to the brain. But, loud noises damage the hair cells so they can no longer send the sounds to the brain. Both the amount of time that a worker is exposed to noise and the amount of noise determine how much hearing damage occurs.

Excessive noise can also:

• Cause fatigue, depression and irritability
• Increase blood pressure
• Change the way the heart beats
• Increase breathing rate
• Cause digestive problems, upset stomachs, and possibly ulcers
• Disrupt sleeping patterns
• Intensify the effect of drugs, alcohol or hazardous chemicals
• Possibly impact fetal development and may cause premature birth

Federal law requires that some employers monitor the workplace to determine if workers need protection from excess noise. Workers can protect themselves from the effects of excess noise by using ear plugs, canal caps or ear muffs and hearing protection should be made available to workers who are constantly bombarded by high levels of sound.

Construction workers and others who have lost their hearing or have experienced other serious physical effects because of job-related noise, may have a claim under Missouri worker’s compensation law. To learn more, contact the Kansas City personal injury attorneys at the Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys. When you call us at 1-888-348-2616, request our free guide to worker’s compensation rights, “How to Avoid Becoming a Work Injury Horror Story.” This guide can help you to get started on your MO injury claim.

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