The Portland Rose Festival is back on - Rain or Shine, mostly rain!
Last night, I met a visiting seaman, who was in town from Seattle doing tours on a naval ship on the Tom Mcall Waterfront For more information about Fleet Week - see- https://www.rosefestival.org/events/2022/fleet-week
This Gentleman, probably about my age, mid 40s, told me he has hearing loss from being on Naval Ships for many years. I wanted to hear more because I've read a few articles about this very thing.
According to this source, Statistical Analysis of Hearing Loss Among Navy Personnel published Feb. 2005, "Permanent hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities among sailors."
In 2004 the Veterans Administration (VA) spent $108 Million dollars in disability payments to 15.8 thousand former Navy personnel for hearing loss. Seamen are exposed to different posts and all sorts of noise, depending on their location on the ships. Many of these posts have high noise levels, such as certain ships; and particular ratings have high exposure, such as jobs near machinery. The engine room is an especially noise-polluting area of course. Also, Naval Surface Warships, as opposed to being assigned to ashore Surface Combatants, Carriers and Amphibious ships, had a much higher probability of leaving the Service with a reduction in their ability to hear. Individuals assigned to submarines but not assigned to the engine or machine rooms did suffer hearing loss. For more information- read the full publication -
In this NIH (National Institute of Health) study, they measured the engine room noise to be LOUD. "In terms of workplace-related physical measurements, the highest noise levels were found in the engine room (104 dB (A))" 104 decibels in the engine room, imagine working in there for 8 or 10 hour shifts. You better hope people are using hearing protection.
So as usual, my soap box is - ships, machinery, engines and industry is loud, you don't want hearing loss - so PROTECT YOUR HEARING folks your 65 year old self will THANK YOU! Radha Joy, Pepp NOW!
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