The world economy depends heavily on mining, which provides vital resources for innumerable businesses. Although the task is necessary, there are risks involved, some of which are more obvious than others. Excessive noise exposure is one of the most common but little-known risks associated with mining, as it can cause permanent and irreversible hearing damage.
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Mining Industry: Exposure to Noise
Both underground and surface mining operations are naturally noisy. Consistent and dangerous noise levels are produced by heavy machinery, drilling equipment, and diesel-powered transportation systems. Actually, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
Over an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA), 25% of miners in the United States are subjected to noise levels more than 90 dB.
Eighty percent of miners are employed in locations where noise levels are higher than the recommended occupational exposure limit of 85 dB.
These figures demonstrate that noise is a widespread problem that impacts the great majority of workers.
Mining Noise Exposure: Sources
A variety of mining equipment causes the excessive noise levels that miners endure daily. For example:
- Bit impact, exhaust bursts, and mechanical vibrations are the ways that drilling systems produce noise.
- Conveyors, gearboxes, and engines in extractive machinery like continuous miners and longwall shearers produce continuous operating noises.
- Wheel-track vibrations, transmission whines, and loud engine noise are all produced by diesel locomotives and freight trucks.
- Due to the impact of material handling and motor mechanics, even conveyor belts can contribute to the aural pandemonium if they are not properly maintained.
As a result, miners’ hearing health suffers greatly over time due to the dangerous environment.
Mining Noise Exposure: The Impact of Time
It takes time for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) to develop. It develops gradually, frequently beginning with trouble following conversations in noisy environments or hearing high-frequency noises. The harm gets worse over time and eventually becomes irreparable. Many miners are unaware of the extent of their hearing loss until it is too late because this loss occurs gradually.
By their 40s or 50s, a significant portion of miners start to exhibit detectable hearing loss, according to studies conducted by NIOSH and other international organizations. Ninety percent of coal miners who were tested in one U.S. research study had hearing loss by the time they were fifty. This is a direct outcome of repeated, unprotected exposure to occupational noise and is not just the result of aging.
The Reasons Why Hearing Loss Is Frequently Ignored
It takes more than simply an audiogram to diagnose NIHL. A thorough evaluation of an individual’s lifetime noise exposure, both at work and during leisure activities, is necessary. Standardized questionnaires are frequently used by audiologists to adjust for individual habits such as exposure to power equipment or recreational rifle use.
The link between a mining profession and hearing loss is frequently not immediately apparent, particularly when the damage manifests decades later. Because of this, it is crucial to document work history, positions, and specific equipment used to support a claim.
Mining Noise Exposure: How to Reduce Noise
Noise levels at work have somewhat decreased as a result of improvements in mining equipment, but problems still exist. Quieter parts, such as enclosed motors and low-noise gearboxes, are being designed by manufacturers. To prevent noise spikes brought on by mechanical wear, mines are also urged to do routine maintenance on their equipment.
Earmuffs or earplugs are examples of hearing protection devices that are still the most popular control approach. Although these can be quite useful, many miners take them off for comfort or communication. Wearable noise monitors are being introduced by some businesses to improve compliance by warning employees when they are near hazardous sound levels.
The Role of Workers’ Compensation
In the majority of US jurisdictions, hearing loss brought on by noise is regarded as a compensable injury. The purpose of the workers’ compensation system is to assist those who experience health problems related to their jobs, particularly those that arise gradually. Compensation for medical examinations, audiological assessments, and assistive technology such as hearing aids may be obtained through hearing loss claims.
Financial benefits for the permanent disability itself may also be obtained by filing a claim. For elderly or retired miners who could be on fixed incomes, this is especially important. Workers’ compensation becomes an important resource because many private insurance policies do not cover the whole cost of testing or hearing aids.
How to Submit a Hearing Loss Claim
Making an appointment for an assessment with a qualified audiologist who specializes in occupational hearing loss is the first step if you think your hearing loss is due to your job. The next step is to gather documentation of your work history and specifics on the kinds of equipment you have used. This facilitates the establishment of a link between your working environment and your condition.
Consulting with a knowledgeable lawyer helps streamline the process because hearing loss claims frequently require both legal and medical data. Many miners and industrial workers have benefited from our assistance at Johnson Law Offices in obtaining the benefits they are entitled to.
Suffered Hearing Loss While Working? Contact Us!
The Workers’ Compensation Program was established in 1911 to encourage employers to make the workplace safer by requiring safety programs and the use of safety devices. Since 1911, there have been over 2.5 million workers’ compensation claims filed. Hearing loss workers’ compensation claims now rank #3 in the number of occupational disease claims filed.
Hearing loss workers’ compensation benefits are largely undiscovered benefits covering hearing health care, which is often uninsured. Many health insurance policies and programs, like Medicare, do not cover hearing aid purchases, but workers’ compensation can. It also pays for the disability of hearing loss, just as it does for the loss of eyesight or other injuries.
Aging populations, advances in technology, and greater sensitivity to hearing loss are bringing more attention to financing hearing health care. For the most part, those who qualify for hearing loss workers’ compensation benefits are retired hearing-impaired workers who live on fixed incomes.
Always feel free to ask Johnson Law Offices about the process, the law, or an individual case. The legal, medical, and audiometric questions that come into play in a hearing loss workers’ compensation claim can be complicated.