§ Mr. Luceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the main causes of deafness at work which lead to the successful appeal for industrial injury provisions.
§ Mr. OrmeWhen the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council reported on its investigation into the problems of deafness at work (Cmnd 5461, October 1973), it concluded that the main factor was prolonged exposure to excessive noise, leading to progressive sensorineural—i.e., nerve—deafness. The present coverage, under the industrial injuries scheme, for occupational deafness is based upon the council's recommendations. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the council's report.
§ Mr. Luceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the terms of reference of the Industrial injuries Advisory Council in its review of the operation of the industrial injury provisions for occupational deafness.
§ Mr. OrmeThe Industrial Injuries Council has been asked by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State
511Wto review the operation to date of the provisions for occupational deafness and to identify the processes where the noise levels are nearest in severity to those already covered with a view to extending categories as and when financial and other resources become available".
§ Mr. Luceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what basis those who suffer from loss of hearing at work can qualify for industrial injury assistance.
§ Mr. OrmeThey can qualify under the accident provisions of the industrial injuries scheme if loss of hearing is caused by an accident at work, or under the prescribed disease provisions if the conditions for disease No. 48, occupational deafness, are satisfied. To qualify under the latter provisions the claimant must be suffering from
substantial permanent sensorineural hearing loss due to occupational noise amounting to at least 50dB in the better ear, being the average, after exclusion of hearing losses not due to occupational noise, of pure tone losses measured by audiometry over the 1, 2 and 3 kHz frequenciesand have been employed for at least 20 years in an occupation involving (a) the use of pneumatic percussive tools or high-speed grinding tools in the cleaning, dressing or finishing of cast metal or of ingots, billets or blooms; or (b) the use of pneumatic percussive tools on metal in the shipbuilding or ship repairing industries; or (c) work wholly or mainly in the immediate vicinity of drop-forging plant or forging press plant engaged in the shaping of hot metal.If the claimant has left one of these occupations his claim must be made within a year of his leaving.
§ Mr. Luceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many partially hearing or deaf people receive industrial injury assistance.
§ Mr. OrmeBenefit has been payable for occupational deafness as a prescribed disease since 3rd February 1975, and by 5th October 1976, the latest date to which figures are available, 2,308 people had been awarded benefit for the disease. Figures for the numbers of persons receiving benefit for deafness arising out of accidents at work are not available.