Compensation for 50 Per Cent Hearing Loss
Date online: 15/06/2012
A welder who suffered permanent damage to his hearing as a result of working in a noisy environment has won an out of court settlement of £12,000 from his former employer.
Stephen Rothwell, 50, worked as a plater welder in a noisy steel fabrication factory but at no time was he told to wear ear protectors. Over a period of more than two and a half decades, the constant exposure to noise slowly damaged his hearing and he now has to wear hearing aids in both ears. He also suffers from tinnitus, a ringing or whistling sound in the ears.
The laws relating to noise at work have been tightened up over the years. Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, employers must take specific action to ensure average and maximum levels of noise exposure are not exceeded. They must:
- assess the risks to employees from noise at work;
- take action to reduce the noise exposure that produces those risks;
- provide hearing protection for employees if the noise exposure cannot be reduced to acceptable levels by other means;
- provide employees with information, instruction and training; and
- carry out health surveillance where there is a risk to health.
If you think that you might have been affected by noise levels at work then please contact our Personal Injury Department her at Molesworths on 01706 356666 or visit our website at www.molesworths.com
Media contact: Kelvin Eatherington. Marketing & Business Development Manager
Tel: 01706 767407.
Email: kelvin@molesworths.com
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.
