Another Corus worker gets deafness payout
Another Corus worker gets deafness payout
A factory foreman who was exposed to excessive noise at work which left him with severe hearing difficulties has been awarded undisclosed compensation by his former employer, Corus. GMB member Martin Bourne, 70, was employed as a mechanical foreman at the Corus UK Llanwern Works in Newport, Gwent. He worked in various noisy environments, including hot and cold mills, blast furnaces and 'pickle lines'. Despite the levels of noise throughout the plant, no hearing protection was available to Mr Bourne until just three years before the end of his employment. After retiring, Mr Bourne realised that he had a severe problem with his hearing. Medical investigations revealed that Mr Bourne's hearing had been irreparably damaged. Nick Hughes, GMB south western legal officer, said: 'Employers are aware of the dangers of exposing staff to excessive levels of noise and must take steps to ensure that workers are protected. Mr Bourne simply got on with his job not realising that his hearing was being damaged daily. Corus should have taken responsibility and provided ear protection far earlier than three years before the end of his employment.' Earlier this year, another former Corus employee, Malcolm Goddard, received a £4,000 compensation settlement from the company after developing work-related deafness and tinnitus, a ringing in the ears caused by noise exposure (Risks 305).
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