If you have a job in New Jersey, odds are, the job poses at least some degree of risk. While certain jobs, such as those held by, say, firefighters or construction workers, have clear, overt risks involved, others, such as those held by office workers, have risks that are less apparent. Today’s single-most prevalent work-related injury, however, is hearing loss, and it can affect workers across multiple industries. At Lieberman, Ryan & Forrest, L.L.C., we understand the many ways in which work-related hearing loss can impact your life, and we have helped many clients who suffered this type of injury seek recourse.
According to USA Today, about 22 million American workers face exposure to dangerous levels of noise while on the job each year. Furthermore, American employers are spending roughly $242 million every year in workers’ compensation costs relating to hearing loss, with safety advocates scrambling to find methods of minimizing noise-related risks.
Interestingly, statistics show that your chance of suffering work-related hearing loss is actually more substantial if you work in an environment where the noise level is moderate, as opposed to severe. Why? Workers in undeniably loud environments are more conscientious when it comes to protecting themselves, meaning they regularly don protective headphones and take similar strides to minimize the effects of loud noise.
In work environments where the noise level is less apparent, however, workers sometimes get a false sense of security, and they are therefore less likely than those in loud environments to make efforts to protect themselves. More about work-related injuries and illnesses is available on our web page.