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News & Knowledge » Redundant Steelworker Receives £12,750 Compensation for Noise Induced Hearing Loss
A steelworker employed for 40 years by Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK Limited (SSI), formerly TATA Steel and British Steel, in their Redcar/Lackenby Steel Works, received £12,750 in compensation after he developed noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus.
The Claimant undertook his apprenticeship with British Steel in 1975 before working in the steelworks’ Sinter Plant, Ore Terminals, Coke Ovens area and Blast Furnace area. He was not provided with any hearing protection until the mid-1990s meaning he had been exposed to excessive levels of noise for around 20 years.
NIHL is a condition that develops over time. Exposure to loud noise in the workplace slowly damages the inner ear which causes hearing difficulties and a condition known as tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing noise in the ears and/or head).
After he retired, the Claimant in this case started to notice that his wife was complaining that the television was turned up too loud and that he was struggling to hear his friends in the bar after a game of golf. His friends started asking him if he was deaf and he started to wonder whether he was suffering from hearing problems. He also suffered from bleeping noises in his ears.
The Claimant instructed Oakwood Solicitors to investigate whether he was suffering from the effects of hearing damage caused by exposure to excessive levels of noise in the workplace.
A medical report was prepared by an expert Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Consultant who was of the opinion that the Claimant suffered hearing losses over and above that which he would expect a man of his age to experience and that those additional losses had been caused by noise.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you have worked in a steelworks, you may be suffering from the effects of noise damage which may entitle you to compensation. Get in touch with us today today for a consultation in complete confidence.
Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9787 to find out how we can help you.
Natasha Hardy is a Solicitor and Head of the Industrial Disease Department, specialising in Industrial Disease matters and has experience in handling a wide range of cases including claims for Noise-I…
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