A STEETON man whose hearing was damaged after he was exposed to excessive workplace noise has won a settlement from his former employer.

Nigel Simpson has to wear a hearing aid in his left ear following an eight-year spell working at British Coal’s Hatfield Main Colliery in Doncaster.

Now Irwin Mitchell solicitors, acting on his behalf, have secured an undisclosed sum from British Coal after the company admitted liability for the hearing loss.

Mr Simpson, 51, worked at Hatfield Main until 1988.

Initially, he was a maintenance fitter before transferring to the surface, where he served in a coal preparation plant.

Medical evidence, provided as a result of investigations by Irwin Mitchell, showed the father-of-three's hearing had deteriorated due to noise he was exposed to from conveyor belts, coal cutters, jigger picks, chains, hydraulic chocks and vibrating and shaking jigs used to grade the coal.

Sarah Tagg, an industrial illness expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: "Noise-induced hearing loss is a very serious problem but, unfortunately, we regularly come across cases like Nigel's, where employees were exposed to high levels of noise over long periods of time without the appropriate protection.

"Hearing loss can have a significant impact on victims' day-to-day lives, and it is vital those who work in close proximity to heavy machinery are provided with protection to prevent the loss of their hearing.

"Nigel, who also suffers from tinnitus, has now been fitted with a hearing aid.

"We are delighted to have been able to secure a settlement for him, which will ensure he can access the hearing devices he will need for the rest of his life."

Mr Simpson said the hearing problem had impacted hugely on his day-to-day life.

"I've struggled to hear people in conversation for quite a while but it has really deteriorated significantly in recent years," he added.

"The fact these problems have come about due to the noise at the colliery is very upsetting, and I'm angry more wasn't done to warn us of the dangers of exposure to high levels of noise at work and that more wasn't done to protect us.

"Safety standards have improved dramatically now, but for people of my generation this came too late and I – and others like me – are suffering the consequences of poor safety standards."

British Coal was contacted for a comment but hadn't responded as the Craven Herald went to press.