# Noise-induced hearing loss, prevention, claiming and hearing aids
Noise damage is like HAVS for your ears, once it's done, you don't get it back, you just stop it getting worse. Most people in the trade pick up some hearing loss by their 40s; the aim is to keep it at "annoying" and not "can't follow a normal conversation".
Quick rule of thumb: if you're in your 20s or 30s and shrugging this off, think about whether you want to be the 45-year-old who can't hear his kids properly at the dinner table: most of the older lads who "don't mind" now didn't think they'd care either, until they realised how much they'd lost.
1. The law on site noise, those 80/85/87 dB numbers
Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005:
| Level | Threshold | What must happen |
|---|---|---|
| Lower exposure action value | 80 dB(A) daily/weekly, or 135 dB(C) peak | Employer must assess risk, give information and training, make hearing protection available |
| Upper exposure action value | 85 dB(A) daily/weekly, or 137 dB(C) peak | Employer must provide hearing protection and ensure it's worn, mark hearing protection zones, put in place noise control programme |
| Exposure limit value | 87 dB(A) taking hearing protection into account | Exposure must not exceed this; employer must act immediately to reduce it |
These are daily/weekly averages, so a few minutes on very loud kit can use up your "allowance" for the day.
2. Employer duties, what "good" looks like
Employers must:
- Assess noise risks · measure or estimate noise levels for tasks and roles, including how long people are exposed.
- Reduce noise at source where reasonably practicable · quieter tools, silencers/mufflers, acoustic screens, isolating noisy kit, moving especially loud tasks away from others.
- Provide hearing protection (ear defenders/earplugs) at 80 dB, and enforce its use at 85 dB and above.
- Mark hearing protection zones and put up signs where hearing protection is mandatory.
- Provide health surveillance (hearing checks) for workers regularly at or above the upper action value, to catch hearing loss early.
- Inform and train workers about risks, how to use PPE, and how to fit plugs/defenders properly.
If your site is loud enough that you're shouting to be heard at arm's length and no one is talking about noise assessments, ear protection or hearing tests, they're not meeting the standard.
3. How loud common construction tasks really are
Typical noise levels (these vary by kit and environment, but give you the idea):
| Task | Typical noise level at the ear |
|---|---|
| Concrete breakers / hammer drills / impact tools | 95–100 dB(A) |
| Angle grinders and cut-off saws | 97–100 dB(A) |
| Circular saws and band saws cutting metal | 90–100 dB(A) |
| Demolition work with drills and breakers | 89–95 dB(A) daily average |
| Hammering steel, guillotining | 95–100 dB(A) |
| Pile driving and some large plant | 100+ dB(A) near source |
Anything above 85 dB(A) for significant periods is in "must control and protect" territory. Spending a full day on a 95–100 dB task without protection is basically asking for hearing damage.
4. IIDB for occupational deafness (PD A10), how claiming works
Noise-induced hearing loss in certain jobs is covered as Prescribed Disease A10: Occupational deafness.
To qualify for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit for A10 you must
- Have sensorineural hearing loss of at least 50 dB in each ear, measured as the average hearing loss at 1, 2 and 3 kHz on an audiogram.
- Have worked for 10 years or more in prescribed noisy occupations, including things like:
- Using, or working close to, circular saws or cutting discs to cut metal or other products.
- Certain forging, metal founding, and heavy industrial tasks · relevant if you've done structural steel, piling or similar noisy work.
DWP guidance
- You claim using specific occupational deafness forms, by phone or post · the IIDB helpline (0800 121 8379) can send these and talk you through them.
- You'll need:
- Work history with dates and job types.
- Details of noisy tasks and tools.
- An audiology assessment (DWP will usually arrange their own test).
- If you meet the criteria, DWP sets a percentage disablement based on your hearing loss; payments depend on that percentage and your age.
Noise damage has to be significant for IIDB, enough that normal conversation is hard and you're relying on subtitles or lip-reading a lot of the time.
5. Hearing aids, work vs NHS, and why PPE still matters
If you already have hearing loss:
NHS hearing aids
You can get a referral through your GP to an NHS audiology clinic. If they recommend aids, they are free and come with follow-up and adjustments.
Employer-funded aids
There's no automatic legal duty for employers to buy hearing aids, but if your hearing loss is caused by their negligence (for example, proven in a civil claim), aids and associated costs can be part of compensation.
Even with aids
- Hearing damage from noise is irreversible · aids just help you make better use of what's left, they don't restore normal hearing.
- If you keep exposing your ears to high noise without protection, you'll keep losing more, even with aids.
So the priorities are:
- Protect what you have left · wear decent plugs/defenders properly, every time you're in noisy areas.
- Push for engineering controls and better planning so you're not relying solely on PPE.
What to do next
- If you're noticing hearing loss (turning the TV up, asking people to repeat, struggling in noisy environments), see your GP this month for a referral to audiology · it's free and it gives you a baseline.
- If you use loud tools daily, ask your employer what the noise assessment says and whether health surveillance (hearing checks) is set up · if they look blank, that's your answer.
- If you've got significant hearing loss from years on noisy sites, look into an IIDB claim (PD A10) via the DWP helpline (0800 121 8379) · you need 50 dB loss in each ear and 10+ years in prescribed noisy work.
- If you're young and think it doesn't apply to you yet, buy a decent pair of moulded earplugs (£20–£40 for custom moulds from an audiologist) and actually wear them · your 45-year-old self will thank you.
Sources
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 · legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1643/contents · lower action value (80 dB), upper action value (85 dB), exposure limit (87 dB), employer duties.
- HSE L108 guidance · Controlling noise at work.
- HSE noise exposure calculator · free tool for estimating daily exposure from common construction tasks.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 · legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/contents · general employer duty of care.
- Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985 · occupational deafness as prescribed disease A10.
- DWP IIDB guidance · claim process, 50 dB threshold, 10-year qualifying period, medical assessment.
- NHS hearing aid provision · free aids via GP referral to audiology.
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