21 Jun 2012
During Child Safety Week in the UK (June 18th to 24th),
the US is promoting National Employee Wellness Month. In light of
this, Stateside-based charity the Better Hearing Institute (BHI)
has called on companies to make hearing health a top priority in
their workplace wellness initiatives.
It noted that in recent months, a number of reports have linked
hearing loss to several other chronic diseases of note, such as
heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
Another research paper also linked hearing loss to a threefold risk
of falling among people between 40 and 69, costing companies
billions of dollars' worth of lost productivity, reduced earnings,
reduced productivity and increased absenteeism.
The BHI has gone further to support its US-based companies and
has offered a simple yet effective online hearing check at http://www.hearingcheck.org/, where people can
assess if they need more comprehensive tests from a
professional.
Dr Sergei Kochkin, the BHI's executive director, said: "Hearing
loss is far more serious than people realise. When left
unaddressed, hearing loss negatively affects virtually every aspect
of an individual's life.
"In the workplace especially, untreated hearing loss can take a
significant financial toll. We urge all employers to take
appropriate measures to protect the hearing of their workers and to
include hearing health in their workplace wellness programs."
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