Mrs S was exposed to excessive noise, during her employment with Brettell & Shaw Ltd of West Street, Quarry Bank, West Midlands. She was employed as a factory operative and a machine and press operator during the years 1982 to 2001. During this time, Mrs S was exposed to the noise of the machinery shop, the assembly lines, folding machinery, power presses, and lathes, amongst others. Mrs S explained that she had to raise her voice considerably, if she wanted to communicate with someone closeby.

Mrs S advises that it was not until around 1996 that hearing protection was made available in the factory and even then, its importance was not explained, nor its use enforced. Workers were simply not made aware of the dangers of noise exposure.

Mrs S noticed her hearing problems becoming worse over the last few years and decided to pursue the matter further. WE Solicitors subsequently arranged a hearing test and medical assessment of her hearing condition, which confirmed she was suffering from noise induced hearing loss and noise related tinnitus.

Mrs S’s case was presented to the defendant, along with witness evidence from a former work colleague and WE Solicitors were eventually able to negotiate an out of court settlement for Mrs S of £5,000.00, in settlement of her claim.