Workers to be awarded compensation after work-related hearing loss

Posted 28/01/2011

Personal injury compensation is to be handed out to 60 workers previously employed at the Foden truck factory in Sandbach who now suffer from hearing problems.

Sums of up to £12,000 could be on the cards for each of the people involved in the case, who worked at the now-closed facility at different times between 1959 and 2001, according to the Crewe Chronicle.

One of the staff members involved in the successful legal action against the company’s former insurers is Stephen Bailey, who was employed by Foden for 33 years.

He told the publication that individuals in his position deserve to be compensated because they will suffer problems for the rest of their lives.

“I worked in all the production shops at Foden, some of which were very noisy. I now have a constant noise in my ears which sounds like a car engine ticking over,” Mr Bailey was quoted as saying.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 dictate that employers must assess such risks to their staff and make sure noise is kept within legal limits.