Show notes
While safety in the workplace gets a massive amount of attention, long-term health risks (specifically exposure to loud noise) are frequently overlooked. In this episode, host Steve Randall is joined by Clare Forshaw, Professional Head of Health and Wellbeing at the RSSB and a Founder/Director of the UK Hearing Conservation Association.
Clare challenges the common misconception that hearing loss is simply an "inevitable part of ageing." The discussion touches on the broader, systemic impacts of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus on mental health, the shared responsibilities between employers and employees, and how our modern, content-heavy lifestyles are pushing our ears to the absolute limit before we even clock into work.
Key Takeaways:
The SOM podcast is sponsored by Orchid Live - specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com.
Clare challenges the common misconception that hearing loss is simply an "inevitable part of ageing." The discussion touches on the broader, systemic impacts of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus on mental health, the shared responsibilities between employers and employees, and how our modern, content-heavy lifestyles are pushing our ears to the absolute limit before we even clock into work.
Key Takeaways:
- The "Poor Relation" of Health: Hearing health is often treated secondary to safety because it doesn't cause immediate, dramatic injuries. However, all noise-induced hearing loss is entirely preventable.
- The True Impact of Tinnitus: Far from a minor inconvenience, severe tinnitus can drastically erode a person's quality of life, leading to sleep deprivation, anxiety, and extreme psychological distress.
- The Dementia Connection: Recent studies highlight noise-induced hearing loss as one of the single biggest modifiable risk factors for early-onset dementia due to the social isolation and cognitive decline it triggers.
- Our "Daily Noise Dose": Between podcasts, music, public transit, and loud gyms, many of us consume our entire daily safe limit of noise exposure before our workday even begins.
- Continuous vs. Impact Noise: While continuous background noise is heavily monitored, short, sharp impact noises are often under-assessed, dealing harsh damage to already stressed hair cells in the ear.
- How to Spot a Noisy Workspace: A quick rule of thumb—if you have to raise your voice to speak to someone standing two meters away, the noise level is potentially harmful.
The SOM podcast is sponsored by Orchid Live - specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com.