Former BT Engineer from Sheffield Speaks about Tinnitus
The Star | February 7, 2014
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A former BT engineer who suffers from noise-induced deafness and tinnitus after working with faulty equipment for years has spoken out to help keep workers safe.
Graham Guest, 76, has told his story to mark Tinnitus Awareness Week, which runs until Sunday.
With help from specialists at law firm Irwin Mitchell, he received £7,500 from his former employer BT to cover the cost of equipment which helps him deal with his illness after he worked for years with faulty equipment.
Although the equipment, known as ‘green set’ and ‘yellow set’ oscillators were withdrawn by BT, there are fears some workers in other communications industry businesses may still be using them and unaware of the harm they can cause to hearing.
Graham, of William Crescent, Sheffield, said: “Having the buzzing in my ears is extremely distracting and frustrating. I hope my case encourages other employers to do all they can to keep their workers safe.”
Mark Allen of Irwin Mitchell added: “It is vital that employers check their workers are not using oscillators to help prevent them from developing deafness and tinnitus. The safety of workers needs to be the main priority.”