Age-related impairments like reduced hearing capacity – A safety issue for the working world?

Abstract

According to current prognosis, an excess of age is expected for the working population. Therefore, dealing with age-related impairments of sensory functions such as hearing impairment, is a central issue. Age and age-related impairments might influence employees’ performance especially in exhausting and stressful working situations. Furthermore, reduced hearing capacity bears a serious safety risk. To improve the communication especially regarding safety, communication friendly working procedures can be implemented. A field study with white-collar workers was conducted. Audiometric data results showed that 57.9% of the participants had a slight hearing loss, 34.2% showed a mild to moderate hearing impairment. Most of the participants reported that they do strongly rely on communication at their workplace. Based on interviews and workshops difficult hearing situations were identified and procedures to prevent misunderstandings were derived. Furthermore, examples of procedures to improve the hearing environment are presented.