The 10 worst jobs for your ears

Being an air traffic controller has the potential to be the absolute worst job for your ears. If you’re part of the team working on the ground at the airport, you’re definitely at a high risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The noises from planes landing and taking off can measure up to a whopping 140 dB.

Even watching Formula One races on television live can be exceptionally loud, so actually sitting in the cockpit of the car can be, quite literally, deafening! Luckily, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and other drivers are equipped with top of the range protective gear to protect them from sounds that can reach up to 135 dB – the same as underground mining.

In South Africa, where mining is a substantial industry, efforts are being made to reduce the amount of noise miners are exposed to. The Department of Mineral Resources has set the noise exposure limit for mine workers at 85 dB as part of their hearing conservation programme.

Like carpentry, construction is another very noisy industry. Drills, jack hammers and compactors can be heard from quite a distance away so imagine how loud the noise can be when you’re actually operating the machinery. A jack hammer measures on the higher end of the decibel scale at a whopping 130 dB.

It is well known that loud music is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. For most bartenders, doormen, DJ’s and other nightclub staff the noise level is usually above 115 dB with music continuously blaring into the early hours of the morning.

This prolonged exposure can cause serious damage to their hearing yet it is uncommon for staff to wear any form of ear protection. Phil Collins and Chris Martin from Coldplay are amongst a number of high-profile musicians that have suffered significant damage to their hearing as a result of their successful careers in the music industry.

While trimming your lawns and producing that lovely fresh-cut grass smell, weed eaters and lawn mowers can also generate up to 107 dB of noise.

If you garden yourself, look at getting them a set of protective ear plugs.

If you deliver pizzas or parcels via motorbike, your ears could be in trouble.

Motorbikes are known for their noisiness and together with the “wind noise” factor they can produce an ear-ringing 103 decibels of sound.

A carpenter work involves building things such as furniture out of wood, a level of noise from electric saws and other machinery is an unavoidable part of the job. Hearing Lab suggests that the noise from a rotary hammer (also known as hammer drills) alone can measure up to 120 dB.

Teaching young children may not only cause you to lose your patience – your hearing could also take a knock. With all the temper tantrums, screaming, crying, shouting and singing that comes along with a class of toddlers, it’s easy to understand how noise levels can easily reach 85 dB.

Becoming a hairdresser is a popular career choice around the world but most wouldn’t think that fixing other people’s bad hair days could lead to hearing loss. Unfortunately, the noise from a number of hairdryers being used at the same time often reaches 85 dB which, while is on the lower end of the scale, can still contribute to gradual hearing loss over time.