OCCUPATIONAL DEAFNESS: THE SILENT EPIDEMIC
New online Evidence Hub launched for Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is the number one occupational disease in Europe, yet the world is largely silent on the issue. Today a new online Evidence Hub has been launched that pulls together data on the issue to support the case for a new approach to hearing protection in the workplace.
Smart tech company, Eave, who are raising industry standards in hearing protection, are providing an online resource that helps employers to properly protect workers on site from hazardous noise.
Over 46 million people in Europe work in harmful levels of noise, 2 million of which are in the UK. Regulation measures are woefully inadequate in today’s digital world, and there is now a wealth of evidence to support the need to improve noise regulation in the workplace.
Eave’s Evidence Hub is an online library of resources, academic articles and data that explain the issue of Occupational Deafness and why companies need to change their approach to noise to prevent this silent epidemic.
Dr. David Greenberg, clinical research audiologist and founder of Eave, has curated this library of evidence as part of his mission to eliminate the isolation and loneliness caused by noise induced hearing loss. He has identified four key areas of evidence:
1.EXPOSURE RATES – Noise exposure is the single largest contributor to deafness.
2.INSURANCE CLAIMS – £360 million was spent by insurance companies on Occupational Deafness claims in one year.
3.OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE – Occupational Deafness is the most commonly reported occupational disease in the EU.
4.LOUD ENVIRONMENTS – Noise regulations dictate that loud environments require control at source by employers.
“Dr. Greenberg explains: “Having worked as an NHS Clinical Audiologist and as a Research Audiologist, I have seen first-hand the profound impact hearing loss can have on a person’s life. Many people face unnecessary risks to their health from being exposed to noise at work, which is entirely avoidable if the right hearing protection is worn. At Eave we are proud to have created the technology to prevent occupational deafness. This innovation is founded on evidence I have spent years researching. I hope that in sharing it widely, we can all work together to eliminate Occupational Deafness in the future.”
Eave’s hearing conservation solution has built noise monitoring into active ear defenders. These smart ear defenders, which are an essential part of workplace PPE, use best in class ‘Hear-Through’ technology that allow the wearer to continue to hear environmental sound, vastly improving the safety of workers. Eave’s noise management software platform maps noise exposure, analysing data in real time to provide information about each worker’s noise exposure across a site.
About Eave
Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating and often debilitating impact of deafness.
