June 2007 - Hearing loss compensation

A worker who suffered noise induced hearing loss has been awarded £4,000 in compensation for damage which took place over a period of years that he spent working in noisy environments.

Malcolm Goddard, 60, first went to work for Corus in 1972, where noise was created by two furnaces, a roughing mill and underground hydraulics.

In 2005, Mr Goddard began to notice a hissing noise in his right ear and later he experienced ringing in both ears and realised that his hearing had become seriously impaired.

He brought a claim for compensation on the grounds that he had been exposed to unacceptably high levels of noise throughout his career and his employers had failed to provide adequate protection.

Tanveer Jaleel, senior partner at TJL Solicitors comments: “Mr Goddard's story is far from unusual. It is estimated that as many as 170,000 people have suffered damage to their hearing as a result of excessive noise at work.

Hearing loss is an industrial injury which often goes unrecognised, usually because of its slow onset.

“New regulations were introduced in April 2006 in an attempt to give employees greater protection against hearing loss. However those who have worked in noisy environments before this may have a claim, and TJL Solicitors could help gain compensation”.