Delivering Hearing Solutions in Challenging Environments

As a Technical Hearing and Communication Specialist at Arco, I've advised and helped clients across a wide range of sectors and working environments. From heavy manufacturing to the engine rooms of ships, utilities companies and the nuclear industry. Mine is a fairly unique skillset within safety and I can be involved anywhere there’s a noise hazard.

In noisy working environments people need to protect their hearing while remaining able to hear and communicate safely. A good example of how my expertise can help was the solution we provided for a hearing-impaired employee of a heavy engineering firm in Sheffield. His role required him to wear a lot of PPE which made using ear defenders almost impossible. Nevertheless, he also still needed to wear hearing aids to be able to communicate and hear colleagues or safety alarms.

We were able to provide him with an electronic ear plug containing technology to amplify the sounds he needed to hear, while defending his hearing against potentially damaging noise. Not only did this mean he could continue in his role, but the employee felt valued and supported by his employer, while the business avoided the need to recruit and train someone else to perform his role.

We've also provided combined hearing protection and communications solutions for businesses in the paper industry allowing employees working on large machines to communicate at a distance. This also improves morale and efficiency since they can stop a machine instantly instead of having to attract someone's attention.

During the Covid-19 pandemic similar solutions have proved invaluable to help people maintain communication while social distancing and wearing masks.

The mental health and wellbeing aspects of hearing protection and communication are often overlooked. Indeed, a 2020 study by the Lancet Commission showed that if hearing loss goes undiagnosed and untreated it can double the risk of developing dementia.

It's all about finding the right product for the right person and the right scenario. At Arco, we have a very broad knowledge and visibility of market. Unlike some other safety companies, we're not tied to a single manufacturer's products, so we bring a broad, unbiased approach to hazard management.

Noise is just one of the many hazards that our customers face in the workplace. Our team of hazard specialists work with customers to eliminate or mitigate the risks presented by customers’ unique challenges.

Profit from the expertise of our people with practical experience to help you tackle your unique safety challenges. Register today and receive effective tailored support and advice.