Employers Recompense Worker for Loss of Hearing at Workplace
Monday, November 16th, 2009John Walton has been given a cumulative compensation of 12,750 pounds by his three employers, viz. Corus, Darchem Projects Limited and Turbros Engineering, in an out of court settlement after he suffered from hearing loss while working as a welder in these companies.
Walton had worked with Corus, earlier known as British Steel Corporation, from 1978 to 1983. After that, he took employment with Darchem Projects Limited from 1985 to 1987 and Turbros Engineering from 1987 to 2007.
The extremely high levels of noise at the operational units of all three companies had harmed his hearing, but he had not understood the gravity of the situation until a medical examination in 2007 diagnosed him with a serious hearing loss.
When Walton found that he had suffered occupational deafness, he contacted his workers’ union, the GMB, which asked its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors to sue the employers for compensation.
All three companies accepted the responsibility for Walton’s deafness and settled his claim out of court.
Billy Coates from the GMB said many welders lose their capacity to hear because the environment around them is usually full of noise. He added that many such cases often go unnoticed and that employers must recompense all those workers who have been deafened at the workplace.
Linda Redhead of Thompsons Solicitors said many workers attribute their loss of hearing to age, when excessively noisy workplace is the real culprit. She added that employees must demand compensation if they have been subjected to extremely high levels of noise while working.
Employers have a duty towards ensuring health and safety of the workers; a NEBOSH course, leading to the award of the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health, can be of benefit to organisations in providing the knowledge to manage safely and effectively in compliance with both the organisation’s policy and best practice in health and safety.
