Even though many occupations aren’t harmful on the ears as a general rule, such as doctors, lawyers and retail clerks, other occupations pose a significant risk for hearing damage to those who work within these environments. In industries like airport ground crews, the military and mining, loud machinery and equipment are standard in daily operations. These industries certainly provide valuable services to everyone around the world, and their employees may take great satisfaction in their work; however, the possibility for hearing damage is great. Take good care of your ears or you risk long-term hearing damage.
Farming
A crucial industry to the operation of this country in regards to fresh foods and other crops, agriculture is the source of many valuable services, from which farmers no doubt draw immense gratification. There is a downside to the daily work, however, and that’s hearing damage. This is due to the vast number of machinery and trucks they must operate every day that can pose an incredibly loud work environment for farmers.
Airport Ground Workers
Directing planes on the runway at a commercial or military airport places a large risk on the hearing ability of those involved. If workers fail to wear noise dampening head phones, they exponentially increase their risk of significant hearing loss due to the decibels of noise involved — double the accepted level of 85.
Nightclub Worker
The DJs, bartenders, security personnel and servers who report to work each night in a club don’t find the atmosphere as enjoyable as you may. That’s because their hearing health is put at risk by working in these establishments due to the constant onslaught of crowd noises and the band or DJ music. Even you as an occasional patron of the club can experience temporary hearing loss just by spending an evening there.
Mining
Miners perform physically intensive work in caves and underground to generate important raw materials and fuel the world needs to function. They typically work in confined areas, while operating loud machinery and tools at the same time. This creates a perfect storm of hearing loss when no ear protection is worn. This industry poses a danger to all workers in terms of ear health.
General Construction
All the constant noises that are typical of any construction site can incur hearing loss for the contractors subjected to them each and every day. From diggers to explosives, contractors must protect their hearing or risk significant hearing loss due to the close proximity and repeated nature of the loud environment.
Military
Within the military, many people suffer from hearing damage, making this one of the loudest work atmospheres on the planet. At any time of the day or night, there could be weapons training, artillery drills, explosions and tanks rumbling through, making military bases a prime example of a noisy workplace that leads to significant hearing loss.