Hearing Protection: The Electrical Hazard You Don't \"Hear\" About

Many people do not understand that their hearing is a valuable yet delicate sense that they damage with regularity. They also do not realize that noise-induced hearing loss cannot be fixed with a hearing aid. Although the sense of sight is typically recognized as delicate and given appropriate protection considerations, the sense of hearing is not treated similarly. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), it is estimated that more than 28 million people in the United States have hearing loss or deafness [1]. With regard to the workplace, loud noise is estimated to cause hearing loss in over 10 million American workers every year, despite the fact that this injury is completely preventable [2]. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that hearing loss represents 12% of occupational illnesses reported in 2010 [3].