Hearing Loss

Why the use of Hearing Protection is so important in Northern Ireland

Unlike temporary hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss is usually permanent, as the damaged hair cells do not regenerate. Proper use of ear protection can help prevent this condition.

If your workplace was noisy, your employer was legally required to not only provide adequate hearing protection but also to enforce its’ use. It wasn’t enough to just have ear plugs available in a dispenser that may occasionally have been stocked. The protection needed to be readily accessible at all times, capable of effectively reducing noise, and your employer should have enforced its proper use.

Clothing Manufacturing

The textile industry played a significant role in Northern Ireland’s industrial history, with thousands of workers employed in mills and factories where the constant hum and clattering of spinning machines, looms and stitching machines created extremely noisy environments. Unfortunately, it is our experience that hearing protection was rarely provided or enforced.

Today, many former textile workers are seeking compensation for the hearing damage they sustained due to the inadequate safety measures of their employers, which failed to prioritise worker health in these noisy conditions. You may have a claim if you worked at the following employers:

• Daintyfit
• Courtaulds
• Adria
• Desmond & Sons
• Richard Arkwrights
• Peter England
• Savile Row Shirt Company
• Copeland Clothes
• Amblers Mill Ballyclare
• William Clark & Sons
• James Mackie & Sons
• British Enkalon
• Doagh Spinning Co
• International Net & Twine
• Samson Yarns
• Thomas Sinton & Co
• The Ulster Weaving Co Ltd
• Killyleagh Flax Spinning Company
• NI Spinners
• Carpets International
• Welch Margetson
• Fruit of the Loom
• Coats Viyella.

Food & Drink Production

The food and drink production industry has long been a significant sector of the Northern Ireland economy, with factories processing everything from dairy products to beverages and baked goods. These production environments are typically loud, with machinery such as conveyor belts, mixers, bottling lines, and refrigeration units creating a constant, high-decibel background.

In the past, many workers in this sector were not provided with proper hearing protection, leaving them vulnerable to hearing damage. Over time, the cumulative exposure to such hazardous noise levels without adequate safeguards has led to significant hearing damage for many employees. Today, former workers in the food and drink industry are pursuing compensation claims, citing their employers’ failure to provide effective noise protection and enforce its consistent use.

You may have a claim if you worked at the following employers:

• Unipork
• Moy Park
• Cantrell & Cochrane (C&C)
• Pritchitt Foods

Cigarette Production

• Gallahers
• Carreras of NI.

Army / Police

If you have served after 1987 with the Police or the Army in Northern Ireland, you may have been exposed to noise from weapons training or even explosions, helicopter journeys and tactical training.