The US Army Is Training Soldiers to Protect Their Hearing

Army Earplug Lawsuit News

The US Army has been under pressure since the 3M Army Earplug allegedly failed, leaving thousands of soldiers permanently hearing impaired

Thursday, May 7, 2020 - The US Army is determined not to make the same mistake again, that is, blindly trusting a military contractor to provide critical safety equipment without sufficiently testing and proving its effectiveness. The piece of safety equipment referred to is the 3M Dual Sided Combat Army Earplug that allegedly malfunctioned at random times leaving tens of thousands of soldiers hearing impaired and unable to further perform their duties whether at home or abroad in the time of war. Hearing damage is the leading cause of military disability since the Army deployed the 3M Earplugs as standard issued protective equipment to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the past soldiers trusted that their earplugs would perform as advertised but now the military is taking no chances and providing a range of hearing-related activities that can help protect a soldier's hearing. 3M Army Earplug lawsuit attorneys offer a free no obligation consultation before filing a lawsuit claim.

The US Army recognizes May as "Better Hearing and Speech Month" to raise awareness and train soldiers to recognize that certain military activities are likely to cause hearing damage, to take the threat seriously, and to make sure to use hearing protective devices. The Army.mil website, the official site of the US Army recently wrote about their take on the problem of army hearing loss and quoted Capt. Theresa Galan, the Army hearing program manager at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center as telling them, "Hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) are the top two service-connected injuries in the military. Noise-induced hearing loss is painless, progressive, permanent, and nearly always preventable."

Yes, preventable and there is hope that the hearing damage problem can be limited in the future. The Army has pledged to provide hearing-protection specific education to service members and also to provide hearing tests to soldiers regularly. Military activities will be monitored for both the decibel level and duration of loud sounds that in the past were taken for granted as part of the job of serving one's country.

Included will be noise analysis and hearing safety to the safety tests the Army routinely performs. Capt. Galan told the website, "Noise exposure depends upon the intensity (loudness) of the sound and the duration of time you are exposed." Military experts on hearing have identified the leading military activities likely to cause hearing damage as "weapons, military vehicles, rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, ship engine rooms, generators, impact tools, as well as recreational noise exposure, such as lawn care equipment, power tools, and personal listening devices." Officer Galan added "military band practice rooms and concert halls, kitchens, dental instruments, industrial sewing machine rooms, and server rooms, just to name a few," to the ever-growing list. Galan tells soldiers that they are primarily responsible to protect their hearing and that starts with situational awareness and to know the basics of hearing protection. Galan says, "If you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone within three feet of you, then you are in a noise hazardous environment - walk away, turn it down, or wear hearing protection, (and) limit your time spent in noise. If you are concerned about your workspace, contact your supervisor."

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