Perhaps you get a great amount of satisfaction from attending your job each and every day. To love your work is paramount, and you are incredibly lucky if you find a profession you enjoy, whether that’s building houses or mining gold. What you probably don’t think much about, though, is the effect of a noisy work environment on your ears. Keep in mind that many occupations, while fulfilling, carry with them the potential for hearing loss. This can happen gradually over time thanks to the loud noises that occur on a daily basis at work. This growing concern of workplace injury can certainly take a toll on the ears. Here are the noisiest jobs we found.
Ground Workers at Airports
Airports are extremely loud places even if you’re waiting in the terminal. Imagine how those ground workers directing the jumbo jets feel! If they didn’t wear ear protection, they would have even higher rates of hearing loss. The noise of a large jet taking off can reach about 160 decibels — double the accepted rate of 85. When you get higher than 85, you’re risking hearing loss, especially if you work in the commercial and military plane sector.
Construction
Construction sites are known for being loud, and that’s because they’re filled with very noisy machines and equipment that can actually cause hearing loss. All that jackhammering, sawing, machinery and high-octane truck action can bring on acute noise trauma daily in workers if they don’t protect their hearing with ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones.
Mining
This job poses many risks in addition to hearing loss simply because workers are confined to small spaces and working with big and loud machinery. A rewarding job that provides value to everyone thanks to the unearthing of raw materials and fuel, this industry has a big drawback and that’s the potential for hearing damage from the loud noises within tight spaces.
Farming
While certainly a fulfilling job to foster, the machinery used in agriculture can generate at least 85 decibels of sound – enough to bring on hearing loss. Aside from the satisfying nature of the job providing sustenance from the land to all people, farmers are at risk for hearing damage every day.
Military
From explosives to tanks to artillery, the military features unusually high rates of hearing loss, especially when you add in daily weapons training and exposure to the sounds of heavy machinery. It’s too bad that many returning vets suffer from hearing impairments like acoustic trauma.
Club Employee
Those who work in clubs night after night – like servers, bouncers, bar tenders and DJs — aren’t having nearly as much fun as the guests are. That’s because they’re being subjected to extremely loud noises thanks to all the ear-splitting music and yelling going on. This increased risk of hearing damage comes with this type of job.