Imagine not being able to hear the wind in the trees....
... or the rustle of the leaves, to see a song thrush with its
beak open and throat vibrating but not being to hear that glorious liquid song,
to miss the rattle of pebbles on the beach as the waves encroach and retreat?
Save Your Hearing Day is our annual reminder to turn down
the dial and to listen to all those wonderful sounds of nature for a change.
Hearing loss can't always be prevented – sometimes it's just
part of getting older. But hearing loss due to exposure to loud noises is
completely avoidable. There are some
simple things you can do to help stop loud noises from permanently
damaging your hearing, no matter how old you are.
NHS recommends that you take precautions at work and that if
you're exposed to loud noises through your work, speak to your human
resources (HR) department or manager.
Your employer is obliged to make changes to reduce your
exposure to loud noise – for example, by:
- switching to quieter equipment if possible
- making sure you're not exposed to loud noise for long periods
- providing hearing protection, such as ear muffs or earplugs
- Make sure you wear any hearing protection you're given.
The office dogs would also like to add a reminder that
canine hearing is much more acute than humans so if your dogs are around when
you're using loud machinery please make sure they're protected too and for
working gun dogs there are measures you can take to help prevent hearing loss
whilst still allowing them to hear your commands, (read: Can gundogs go deaf from shooting?)