Noise has been identified as a major hazard to the health of the seafarers and has been found to cause hearing loss over years of being exposed to various sources like large diesel engines, turbines, cargo cranes, and other equipment.
Hearing loss report
The hearing loss in seafarers caused by exposure to noise has been identified as sensorineural, a type of hearing loss related to problems in the inner ear.
Continuous exposure to noise, over time, can cause damage to the nerve cells and small hairs in the inner ear that send sound signals to the brain.
Poor results
A 10-year pre-employment medical (PEME) study released in March 2016 by the UK P&I Club has found a dramatic increase in the incidence of hearing defects as the main reason for crew failing their pre-employment medical checks.
Hearing defects have increased by 40% and are now the third main cause of PEME failure.
A crew with poor audiometry results can also display signs of mild to moderate high frequency hearing loss and seafarers working in engine rooms had a higher tendency to experience hearing disabilities.
The effects of exposure to engine noise over the years more often than not appear as the seafarer approaches retirement age.
No benefits
In the event of a hearing loss being detected during the PEME, the seafarer will not automatically receive medical benefits even if he is associated with the company for a long period of time.
The seafarer is entitled to complain about the illness during the effectivity of the contract which leads to his medical repatriation. Otherwise, it will be a case of finished contract disqualifying him for medical benefits.
Under the POEA Contract, total deafness of both ears is assessed as a Grade “3” disability. Despite being an unfortunate condition, the seafarer will not be given total permanent disability benefits.
Drawbacks in contract
The contract fails to recognize the Supreme Court’s ruling, “It is not the injury which is compensated, but rather it is the incapacity to work resulting in the impairment of one’s earning capacity. Disability need not render the seafarer absolutely helpless or feeble to be compensable; it is enough that it incapacitates to perform his customary work.”
A seafarer suffering from total deafness will be considered more of a liability than an asset if he is allowed to go on board the vessel. In cases of medical repatriation due to hearing problems, failure to comply with the 3 day reportorial rule found under the POEA Contract will lead to denial of claims.
He must also show that he was physically incapacitated to be medically examined by a company-designated physician that would have justified his non-compliance with the mandatory three-day period. (Ricasata vs. Cargo Safeway, G.R. No. 208896, April 6, 2016).
If the seafarer suspects that he has hearing loss because of noise exposure on the job, he should see a doctor before disembarkation and get medical records that prove it was most likely caused by years of exposure at work.
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Source: Cebu Daily News
