Security Engineer

Hi I've been installing security products it was the bell that made me deaf.

Seriously, being subjected to the noise emitted from high decibel sounders has caused my tinnitus.

Nowadays employers are more on it when it comes to health and safety but back in the day they weren't, profit is the name of the game with little regard for safety. I urge anyone in this profession
WEAR YOUR HEARING PROTECTION OR ELSE.

 

I couldn’t agree more. I work in a noisy factory with welding robots and when I think back to the amount of noise I used to inflict on myself (without wearing hearing protection) it really makes me cringe. When it comes to health and safety I found it was only protecting ‘the eyes’ that anyone cared about, no one gave a dam about the ears. Most people I know still don’t protect their ears and plenty of them are almost deaf but have no T. I have a small amount of hearing loss (mild-mod) but my T can be wretched. People really don’t seem to care, certainly until it’s too late.

 

I'm wondering what my rights are where I work. I'm a nurse so I can't exactly wear hearing protection, I have to be able to hear call bells, bed alarms, IV pumps beeping. We got a new call bell system within the last year and it is much too loud. You can hear it from everywhere and some patients complain that it's too loud from their rooms never mind in the hallway. I want the volume turned down. Do I have a case? Can I in any way argue that my tinnitus has been caused in part because of the call bells? What can I do to ensure something actually gets done about the volume. They originally told us that someone would come and make the volume quieter, but that hasn't happened. My manager basically told all of us to get used to it...

When I'm at home I barely notice my tinnitus. It's only when I work on the unit with loud call bells that I have major issues. I have my performance review with my manager this week. I'm wondering how I should approach her about the call bells and my tinnitus. Pretty sure I'm not going to be taken seriously.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. My tinnitus was caused by work as well.

It's still all about profit, it's just that preventing accidents keeps the amount they pay for workers compensation insurance low. Workers compensation is a broken system in the US.

 

It's funny isn't it? I have noticed the same thing. We recently had a few very minor eye incidents. One person got irritants in their eye, they got rushed to the ER to get their eyes flushed out - no permanent injury, but there is an accident investigation and revised safety procedures put into place for the entire company. Whereas, when my hearing got permanently damaged I got brushed under the rug and told not to talk about it. The company denies that the single short duration acoustic trauma caused my tinnitus despite me having a handful of specialists agree with the causation. They threatened me to not talk about my injury or symptoms and they didn't even report it to OSHA in their annual report. Maybe it's just because it's subjective, but hearing injuries are just a joke to employers.

 

@devonlee I wouldn't bring up sound levels or your tinnitus to your manager. If you call the Canadian Joint Commission Division of Quality Assurance they will require your name in said confidence, but your name probably will be given back to your hospital management.

Hospital complaints need to come from patients and with that they need to report them to accrediting commissions. Hospitals don't care about patient complaints, no more that a telephone or insurance company.

Staff reporting anything will be considered untrusting even when it's in the best interest for patients. Reason is hospitals make mistakes and they don't want staff that can't be trusted.

@Alue That's so true. Eye washing stations, eye protection. face masks, gowns, protective clothing, but seldom hearing protection is provided when sound is at 90 decibels.

 

Thanks for the replies guys
Devonlee .. visited a property today . Pressed the door bell and a blue led flashing light lit up like a Christmas tree it was a nice soft light not irritating at all . The lady had hearing loss . She moved it around where ever she was as it was battery powered not new technology I grant you but a low cost option you could put to you seniors . Do you still have the tried and tested nurse call system ?.Even low voltage led strips above each bed would be a low cost option.. ps the sounders are driven through an amplifier that can be turned down next time whoever fitted it attends ask them to turn it down a notch worth a try .