I am on the second round of hearing aids, as things gradually get worse as age wears on. Things are much better than in 1957 on my summer job. There still seems to some reluctance to wear hearing protection, but I seem more and more folks with ear plugs or ear muffs. William L. Gamble Professor of Civil and Env. I have tinnitus, a permanent condition with job-related causes.
People are able to make their own choices as to their destruction.
I lost my hearing as a result of my decisions early in my work life. This is a fair trade. General construction noise is very irritating, physically and psychologically. I always use personal protective equipment. After 10 years in construction, I have not suffered any threshold shift.