6 Things to Know About Occupational Hearing Loss

1. Industrial deafness, or occupational hearing loss, is the most common work-related disease. According to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 300,000 to 400,000 workers are exposed to excessive noise at work every day.

2. Men are far more affected than women by occupational hearing loss, accounting for nearly 98% of cases accepted by the CSST.

3. There are two types of occupational hearing loss: acute acoustic trauma related to a workplace accident and caused by noise trauma (burst, explosion, etc.); gradually developing noise-induced hearing loss with an insidious onset of symptoms.

4. There is no doubt that some professions have a higher level of risk than others. While noise levels in offices rarely exceed 40 dB, other workplaces pose serious hazards: first-stage material processing, the paper industry, mining, quarrying and oil well industries, and non-metallic mineral production.

5. Professional musicians, dentists, teachers, child care providers, heavy vehicle drivers, farmers, subway operators, woodworkers, ambulance drivers and airline pilots are also at risk for this disease.

6. Prevention is your best protection. The onset of occupational hearing loss can be slowed down or even interrupted. Solutions exist that can help protect you against noise nuisance.