Listen to the warnings

Imagine joining in a conversation and being met with a deafening silence because you haven’t quite heard all that was said and have misunderstood. One in six Australians currently suffer from some form of hearing loss – don’t be among them.

Noise induced hearing loss is preventable and yet it is the most common occupational illness in the world.

Exposure to excessive levels of noise without protection is a hazard that, over time, seriously damages your hearing. There is no cure; however it can be easily prevented provided you understand how your hearing works and how to protect it.

Mobile & Marine Maintenance & Planning Superintendent Brian Warrener, from Pannawonica, described hearing as “something you can’t understand until you don’t have it”. In our DVD Listen to the warnings, Brian talked candidly about feeling embarrassed and withdrawing from social groups because of his hearing difficulties. Read more

Click here to view Listen to the Warnings »

Here are five steps you can take to help protect yourself from hearing loss when wearing an iPOD:

1. Limit the volume of your iPod to 60 decibels (db), about two-thirds of the maximum volume.
   
   
2. Try to limit listening to no more than 60 minutes a day.
   
   
3. Wear sound-isolating or noise-cancelling headphones that fit over the ear, instead of ear buds that are inserted directly in the ear. This is because when using ear buds, you still hear the external noise.You turn up the volume to drown out the noise, boosting the sound signals by as much as six to nine decibels over the noise. You can hear the music from your iPod, but you are unaware of the excessive volume.
   
   
4. If you are experiencing tinnitus (ringing in the ears), muffled sound after listening to your iPod, or you are having difficulty hearing conversations, speak to your area health advisor or visit your doctor and ask for a hearing test.
   
   

www.4hearingloss.com

Work life balance checklist

Lack of a good night’s sleep can play havoc with our wellbeing and the evidence is clear that we work better, heal faster and restore energy levels when we have adequate sleep.

Check out our work life balance guide and complete this month’s web poll on the same topic.

1. Take control: prioritise your time by writing to-do lists and action plans,
   that way you can monitor workload and allocate your time more efficiently.
2. Simplify: don’t become overburdened with tasks and responsibilities in life - find a way to ease the load. Delegate, de-clutter and don’t dwell on mistakes.
3. Plan: visualise how you will maximise leisure time on a daily basis - action is the enemy of procrastination.
4. Exercise: 30 minutes of physical activity a day is recommended to increase relaxation and help promote a good night’s sleep.
5. Regulate: wake, sleep and eat at consistent times of the day to regulate your body clock and help trigger the off switch when it’s time to unwind.
6. Organise: free up time by using online services to replace tedious chores
   such as banking, paying bills and grocery shopping.
7. Socialise: build a support network of friends, and talk and meet regularly.
8. Nurture: encourage a culture of caring and sharing with colleagues.
9. Focus: stay tuned to what is positive in your life and think about it often.
10. Motivate: support others, seek advice and set achievable goals.

Signs of fatigue

One of the best ways to prevent fatigue is being able to recognise early symptoms and know what to do. Most people have a point at which they become aware of feelings of tiredness bordering on exhaustion.

Being aware of our physical limitations is important because we need to react when our body triggers an alarm bell and ensure we rest. Some of the warning signs of fatigue are:

• Difficulty keeping eyes open
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor hand eye coordination
• Excessive blinking
• Reduced immune system
• Short term memory problems
• Irritability and sluggishness
  

Final call

There is still time to enter the City to Surf event on August 30, so check out the challenges and select your race at www.citytosurf.activ.asn.au The deadline for individual online entries is 6pm, on August 26 and for large team entries, the same time on August 19. Employees and their families will be supported with registration costs and t-shirts.