(BPT) – How likely are you to experience hearing loss because of your job? You may think you’re safe if your job doesn’t involve operating noisy machinery, but hearing loss can occur whenever you’re regularly exposed to sounds of 85 decibels (dB) or louder. That means in addition to people in occupations you’d expect to be at risk of hearing loss – such as miners, construction and factory workers – landscapers, truck drivers, police officers and even school teachers can also be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
In fact, NIHL is the most common type of work-related injury in the U.S., affecting 22 million workers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hearing loss is more common than diabetes and cancer, and far more preventable than either ailment.
Here are 10 occupations where exposure to loud noise could lead to hearing loss:
1. Miners – In a study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), people working in the mining industry had the highest incidence of hearing impairment, with 17 percent of workers experiencing some level of hearing loss.
2. Construction workers – Sixteen percent of workers in the construction industry have hearing impairment, according to NIOSH. They’re typically working in environments where decibel levels average nearly 87, OSHA reports.
3. Factory workers – Among people who work in manufacturing, 14 percent have hearing loss, NIOSH says.
4. Emergency and law enforcement services – Police, firefighters, ambulance drivers and corrections officers also have a high rate of hearing loss, according to NIOSH.
5. Farmers – Operating farming equipment means agricultural workers may regularly be exposed to nearly 87 dB, OSHA says.
6. Airport workers – From 200 feet away, a jet taking off generates 130 dB of sound; 140 dB can cause physical pain, according to OSHA.
7. Landscapers – Lawn mowers, trimmers and other landscaping equipment generate high decibels, commonly in the range of 85-100.
8. Musicians and crew – Rock concerts are notoriously loud events, generating volumes of 110-140 dB.
9. Teacher/daycare worker – Classrooms full of kids can be noisy places. According to OSHA, classroom chatter typically generates about 70 dB of sound – a safe level. However, at times classroom noise can easily top 85 dB, the leading edge of the volume at which noise-related hearing injury can occur.
10. Retail workers – Anyone who has shopped in a crowded store at the holidays knows retail work can be noisy. In fact, the median decibel level of retail and wholesale settings is nearly 87 dB, according to OSHA.
The very good news is no matter what type of job you have, it’s possible to protect your hearing from NIHL. What’s more, if you’ve already experienced hearing loss, hearing aids can help you hear and understand better in everyday environments, including the workplace.
You can protect your hearing by:
* Being aware of things that expose you to very loud noise, such as lawnmowers or machinery at work.
* Turning down the volume when you listen to music, and ensuring earbuds and headphones are used properly and in moderation.
* Avoiding sources of loud noise whenever possible.
* Wearing hearing protection devices when you have to be exposed to loud noise.
Only a hearing care professional can diagnose hearing loss, and once NIHL occurs it can’t be cured. However, hearing aids from manufacturers like Signia are very effective at helping people with hearing loss hear well again. Signia hearing aids are especially useful for people still in the workforce, since they allow wearers to keep up at meetings, hear instructions from their boss, and engage in conversation with co-workers.
These smart hearing aids can allow you to focus on a specific voice and suppress unwanted background noise in a roomful of sound. They can also connect to Bluetooth(R)-enabled devices, so you can stream sound directly from your smartphone or computer to your hearing aids. Small and discreet, it’s nearly impossible for the aids to be seen by others. Visit www.signiausa.com to learn more.
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The process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits is long and difficult. If you make the wrong move, you could RUIN your chances of getting benefits. In this video, David Henson–managing partner of HensonFuerst Attorneys–discusses what NOT to do during the application process.
For more information about many other legal issues related to workers’ compensation or personal injury, please visit our website at http://www.lawmed.com/. And don’t forget to watch our other videos at http://www.youtube.com/hensonfuerst/.
(Principal office of Henson & Fuerst, PA: 2501 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607)
Applying for Social Security Disability is tough. At the time when you are feeling bad enough to be considered disabled, the agency seems to want to make the process as difficult as possible. If you want to make their job easier, I can help you with that.
Hi, I’m David Henson, managing partner with HensonFuerst Attorneys. We help people through the long and exhausting process of attaining Social Security Disability benefits everyday. Of the many things we’ve learned along the way, one lesson is clear: The SSA looks for reasons to reject your claim. Here are the top 5 things you can do to help SS shut you out.
1. Don’t get medical care for your conditions.
2. Do drugs or alcohol.
3.Break the law, or end up in jail.
4.Don’t keep your lawyer up-to-date on your situation.
5. Miss deadlines or appointments.
If you work hard all your life, and end up so injured or sick that you can no longer work, you may be eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits. But just because you are eligible, that doesn’t mean you are entitled. There is a world of reasons why your case may be not be approved…don’t hand the courts a reason to deny your claim.
This is David Henson, with HensonFuerst Attorneys. For more information about how we can help you fight for your SSD benefits, visit our website at LAWMED.com/SocialSecurityDisability/. Or, call us at 1-800-4-LAWMED.
If you have questions, HensonFuerst has answers.
Social Security Disability: What NOT To Do
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How does the guy know what you can get and can't he's American there laws are different
is it true if I move in with my boyfriend they will take my Social Security away
I have been diagnosed with Vertigo and Tinnitus. I have a severe loss off balance at times. Sitting and standing up gives me the sensation of spinning. I have to grab something to keep me from falling. Is that admissible for SSD? No one will hire me anymore..I'm what they call a liability.
how about y'all just work. I've got severe anxiety, nerve damage, constant muscle pain, have bipolar depression, the list goes on. I work 40 hours a week. My face , hands, arms , and legs go number on the daily, I get dizzy alot, sometimes I throw up from it. but I puke and rally. get it together and work. if not, what are you doing? staying at home doing nothing at all. wasting away? No, most at home on ssd are doing chores/house work, taking care of kids, etc. if you can do those things….you can work.
I know tons of people on ssi who drink a shit load ever pay day.
Back in 2009 I was told I have underdeveloped back muscles and can end up in a wheelchair by the time I'm 45 as my back will never get better (I'm currently 35.) and two years ago I had a heart attack and spent the night in the hospital. The doctor who treated me diagnosed me with severe anxiety and told me it's not advisable for me to work. I have no medical so it's hard to get into a doctor unless I find a free clinic. My question is, do I apply first then talk to a lawyer or do I talk to an attorney first then apply?
I have several dyslexia and I suffer from depression, I have a family and it's been really hard for me to do a job. Do I qualify SSI?
i want to ask you a question if you can answer me… i have a SSi and SSA check with little money but i want to work with Youtuber is it ok? or i can't do that???
Great video
Hello, I have a question, how likely am I to be approved for Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 4 , with hypertension and fatigue/glomerulonephritis.
i have dylexia will they accept that
I have autism with an iq of 120 can I get disability
This guy needs a vacation..
I am a 55 year old white male, have been a respiratory therapist since 2004 earlier this year after months of back pain I had to quit my new job of three days at another hospital. In the meantime all I want to do is get fixed so I can get back to work but since I had no insurance and am now unemployed Obamacare says I fall below the poverty guidelines and should be able to get help from the county. The county says I have to have been unemployed for a year and basically be a poor Street person there is nothing in the state of Texas to help a person in my situation I applied for Social Security disability benefits about 2 months ago and I hope I don't get turned down but in the meantime all I want to do is get fixed so I could actually go back to work. What a dilemma! oh, and my projected monthly income if I do get Social Security disability will be what I was making every week LOL basically a quarter of my income
mental disorders prevent you from going to doctors, some people too sick to go to the doctor
Social Security Disability IS A GAME, don't let anybody tell you different. Allot of it is politics too. If you are HIV+, the queer lobby has seen to it that you will be fast tracked to approval. God forbid if you should suffer from SWM syndrome {Straight White Male}, it will take you ALLOT longer to get approved if at all. Disability is basically reparations for a certain minority group. Even though allot of people are going to suffer, I will cheer the day SS goes bust {and it will, make no mistake about that} because it is evil. They took my money by force when I was healthy and young, and now they tell me to go off and die. FUCK 'EM. The attorneys that profit from this scam will have to find another con to run when this ponzi goes tits up.
hello I'm n the latter half of my application process for SSI just finished getting the various paperwork to my caseworker. and so here's my question. the person helping me get my benefits already has 2 people she's taking 100% of their benefits from and scares me because whenever we talk about my case she mentions if I fuck up il turn 21 and never be eligible for benefits again. an says that i HAVE to have a payyee+ someone else's name on my bank account is being under 21 the only thing allowing me benefits or is there altteriar motives (aka a Claus about being under 21 or something)
my girl friend lives in CA, she has social anxiety. can she qualified for social security, its hard for her to keep jobs. talk to strangers out in public. she's 28yrs old.
I'm not sure if it's too late to ask a question. But I hope to get a quick answer. When I turned 18 I started feeling real sick. Mentally. I would start getting paranoid. Heart beating fast. Wanting to pass out. It literally put fear in me. I thought I was going crazy! Sadly. Out of the fear. I stopped living a normal life and slowly realized I had something called Anxiety. I locked myself in for about 6 years. Wouldn't even walk to my front yard. I loved being out and about. But this really ruined me. Just last year I had to make an effort to go see the doctor but they didn't do much. I needed help to survive so was put in some type of disability at the welfare office. But I can't do much with that and trust me. I wish I was normal and didn't have to depend on any type of government help. So my question is. Friends and family tell me to try and get social security disability. But it's hard for me to leave the house and I get anxiety attacks pretty bad once I even try to go out.