By Callum Ludwig
A Yarra Ranges tradie is urging fellow tradespeople to take their safety seriously.
Local bricklayer David Malcolm has had hearing aids for nine years and said using a brick-cutting saw was what damaged his hearing.
“Back in those days, no one ever told you to wear earmuffs and nobody thought they were ever gonna go deaf. I’ve got a few mates that are plumbers who use a lot of power tools over their days, and they’re going deaf as well,” he said.
“I’ve got constant ringing in my ears from the saw, that’s what I put it down to. Even now using a grinder or anything like that I use earmuffs now. Bit late now I guess.”
Mr Malcom’s not alone, with new research commissioned by Specsavers Australia revealing 56 per cent of tradies surveyed admit to not wearing hearing protection in loud working environments or around loud machinery.
A further 34 per cent forget to wear hearing protection, 9 per cent believe loud noises won’t have an impact on their hearing and 61 per cent of Australians do not wear protective equipment when doing work around the house.
Mr Malcolm said by the time he realised he was going deaf, his hearing was already on a downhill run.
“I got hearing aids and it has been a lot better since then, but I wouldn’t say I’m 100 per cent. I still miss a few things, or so my wife tells me. My kids had told me to get hearing aids, because it was just getting worse and worse,” he said.
“We tell young people to make sure they are wearing earmuffs, safety glasses, gloves and everything now because 50 years ago, we never got told anything. All these power tools that have come in now are so easy to use and make life really easy, but if you don’t use them correctly, this is what happens.”
August marks National Tradies Health Awareness Month and tradies, labourers and those at home getting stuck into DIY projects are urged to take simple preventative measures to avoid long-term and potentially irreversible eye and ear damage.
Lilydale Specsavers Audiology Professional Meena Venkat said they can’t stress enough how important it is to look after your hearing and eyesight.
“Once you lose it, there is no getting it back,” Ms Venkat said.
Ms Venkat said however, there are important preventative measures tradies can take as their working environments make them more vulnerable to experiencing hearing and sight damage.
“Taking small precautions like putting on a pair of glasses to protect your eyes from UV rays, or goggles to protect your eyes from dust or, even earmuffs when working on loud machinery to prevent damage to your ears.
“These protective measures can make the world of difference and save you from experiencing a decline in your eyesight or hearing which as we know are pivotal to your quality of life.”
Eye protection was equally concerning as only half of those surveyed (50 per cent) wear protective googles all the time and less than two in five (36 per cent) ensured they always wear their sunglasses when working outdoors.
They stated that they don’t bother wearing them if it’s overcast (42 per cent), they forget to wear them (40 per cent), and concerningly, that they can’t be bothered, or it’s too much effort (9 per cent).
“Health professionals across the country are encouraging all tradies to be aware of the potential risks and put on a pair of earmuffs and goggles when at work,” said Ms Venkat.
“Prevention is always better than cure and getting regular health checks is important in keeping your eyes and ears safe now and for years to come.”
Ms Venkat recommends the following tips to ensure tradies are looking themselves while on the job:
– Wear protection like eye goggles and hearing protection when exposed to loud noise or debris
– Wear full-coverage sunglasses when working outside
– Test the noise of your working environment
– Get your eyes and ears tested regularly
