Irwin Mitchell Donates Specialist Equipment

Lawyers from the Sheffield office of Irwin Mitchell have pledged their support to those suffering from noise-related illnesses by donating specialist equipment to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.

The firm’s Industrial Illness team handed over 15 therapeutic pillow speakers to the hospitals’ Department of Audiovestibular Medicine, which treats patients who are suffering from tinnitus and other noise-related hearing damage.

The special speakers which allow sufferers to listen to soothing sounds and music to help them get to sleep, and are used as part of recovery therapy offered by the Cochlear Implant Service at the hospital.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) estimates that 2.3million adults in the UK suffer from tinnitus the makes it difficult for them to sleep.*

Mark Allen, an Associate Director at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Tinnitus is a condition which leaves victims hearing noises when there is no external noise present. It is often described as a constant background sound such as ringing, whistling, hissing, buzzing or humming.

“One of the major effects of tinnitus is that it can seriously disrupt sleeping patterns, and we are delighted to donate these pillow speakers to the hospital. Hopefully they will provide some comfort to those suffering from this horrible condition.”

One of the main causes of tinnitus is exposure to loud or high-pitched noises, which often occurs through work. Allen believes the dangers of hearing damage are often overlooked by employers and says more must be done to protect workers.

He added: “Every day at Irwin Mitchell we see work related hearing damage severely affecting people’s lives, and businesses must do more to protect workers. In so many cases people would not have suffered hearing damage if they had been given relatively inexpensive and basic protection and equipment.

“Workers have the right to expect to go to work and carry out their duties without any adverse effects on their health, and employers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their employees. Time and time again we see the same problems arising from a lack of basic health and safety protection; it is unacceptable and it has to stop.”

Notes to Editors:

*Statistic taken from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People