Prevention & Education

Education is the key to prevention of noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus

Lifting off to hear? You are wearing the wrong hearing protection and will lose your hearing over time!

Most workers do not understand what they need to do to protect themselves from noise injury. Often they joke it would be good not to hear their partner asking them to help about the house.
Hearing loss, tinnitus, balance and problems with tolerating sounds of a certain pitch interferes with relationships with family, friends and work colleagues.
“I didn’t understand what losing my hearing would do to my life!” is a common complaint heard by Audiologists.

Preventing noise induced hearing loss is far better than trying to assist someone with permanent noise injury and tinnitus. Workers often report that they didn’t understand what they needed to do to keep themselves safe…until it was too late.

Recreational noise is just as damaging as workplace noise. There is no difference. Looking after your hearing needs to occur at both work and home. Damaging sound can include loud music, motor bikes, boat and car engines, gunfire, gardening equipment etc
Handing out hearing protection and expecting workers to use it correctly without appropriate training often results in incorrect use and non-compliance.

Workers, supervisors and managers need to understand that you cannot use your hearing as a guide to how damaging the sound might be. Often workers will say… “I put my hearing protection on when I need it.” Unfortunately this results in workers developing permanent hearing loss because high pitch noise sounds quieter but is more damaging than low pitch noise.

Different levels of noise require different levels of hearing protection. Over protection can be just as dangerous as under protection. Worker’s thinking that one type of protection works for any type of noise results in hearing damage. Workers need to understand how to protect themselves both at work and at home.

Sound Advice Tasmania has a range of education and training programs

We are able to provide a range of training programs either on-site or on-line at any time.
Training programs can be customised for your work environment.

Examples of training programs currently available are:
• Toolbox meetings for PPE use, care and maintenance
• Supervisor training
• Management and medico-legal safety obligations
• General education on hearing loss, tinnitus and communication in the workplace

CALL NOW PH 03 62 235 444 …
TO DISCUSS YOUR WORKPLACE EDUCATION AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Tasmanian employer obligations can be read by following the link to:

Worksafe Tasmanian Code Managing Noise & Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice