A Guide to Occupational Hearing Loss in Colorado
Learn when hearing loss is covered under workers’ comp and how to maximize your benefits in Denver
If you work around loud equipment, heavy traffic, or industrial chemicals in Denver and your hearing isn’t what it used to be, you might not be imagining it. Work-related hearing loss often develops slowly, and many workers don’t realize it’s happening until the damage is significant.
Fortunately, occupational hearing loss is covered under workers’ comp, but getting benefits can be complicated.
In this article, we’ll explain the most common job-related causes of hearing loss, what noise levels are considered unsafe, how certain chemicals can affect your hearing, and which Colorado workers face the highest risk. We’ll also walk through how workers’ comp handles occupational diseases like hearing loss and what you’ll need to show to get benefits.
If you’re struggling with ringing in your ears, difficulty hearing conversations, or a confirmed hearing loss diagnosis tied to your job, the Denver work injury attorneys at Babcock Tucker can help you get the benefits you deserve.
Learn more by scheduling a free consultation.
How many employees suffer hearing loss on the job in the U.S.?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 12% of workers have difficulty hearing. Below are some additional facts about hearing loss in the workplace from the CDC:
- About 1 in 4 workers have been exposed to hazardous noise on the job at some point.
- Roughly 22 million workers (14%) were exposed to hazardous noise in just the past year.
- More than half of noise-exposed workers (53%) report not wearing hearing protection.
- About 8% of workers experience tinnitus, often described as ringing or buzzing in the ears.
- Among workers who were tested and exposed to noise, 20% have material hearing impairment, meaning the hearing loss affects everyday activities.
- 13% of noise-exposed workers have hearing impairment in both ears.
These numbers show that work-related hearing loss is not rare. It affects millions of people across industries, particularly those exposed to ongoing loud noise without consistent protection.
What causes hearing loss in the workplace?
Work-related hearing loss is most often caused by repeated exposure to loud noise over time. Constant machinery, engines, tools, or industrial equipment can gradually damage the inner ear, even if the noise doesn’t seem extreme at the moment.
Hearing loss can also be caused or worsened by exposure to certain ototoxic chemicals used in some industries.
These substances can affect the ear’s ability to process sound, especially when combined with high noise levels.
Both types of exposure can lead to permanent damage if not properly controlled.
What level of noise causes hearing loss?
Hearing loss can begin when you’re exposed to loud noise for long periods, starting as low as 90 decibels (dB) over an 8-hour workday. The louder the noise, the less time it takes to cause permanent damage.
So, what is the acceptable dB level in the workplace?
Under federal workplace safety rules from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the acceptable noise level depends on how long you’re exposed:
- 90 dB for 8 hours – Similar to the sound of a lawn mower or table saw
- 95 dB for 4 hours – Similar to a motorcycle engine or large shop equipment
- 100 dB for 2 hours – Similar to a jackhammer
- 105 dB for 1 hour – Similar to a chainsaw
- 110 dB for 30 minutes – Roughly the noise level near certain heavy construction operations
- 115 dB for 15 minutes or less – Similar to standing very close to a siren or a rock concert speaker
For sudden impact noise, such as explosions or gunfire, exposure cannot exceed 140 dB peak at any time.
In short, once noise levels climb above 90 dB, safe exposure time drops quickly. Repeated exposure at these levels can lead to permanent hearing damage, even if the change happens gradually.
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What chemicals can cause hearing loss?
Some workplace chemicals are known as ototoxic substances, meaning they can damage the inner ear or the nerves that carry sound signals to the brain. Similar to noise-related hearing loss, the risk depends on:
- How often you’re exposed
- How strong the chemical is
- How long the exposure lasts
- Whether you’re also exposed to loud noise
- Individual factors such as age or smoking history
Common workplace chemicals linked to hearing damage include:
- Solvents, such as toluene, styrene, xylene, ethylbenzene, and trichloroethylene
- Asphyxiants, such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and even heavy tobacco smoke
- Certain pharmaceutical drugs, including some chemotherapy medications
- Nitriles, including acrylonitrile and similar industrial chemicals
- Metals and metal compounds, including lead, mercury compounds, and organic tin
- Various pesticides
Workers may be exposed by breathing in fumes, absorbing chemicals through the skin, or consuming contaminated food or drinks in the work area.
Once in the body, these chemicals can travel through the bloodstream and affect the delicate structures of the inner ear, leading to permanent hearing loss. The risk increases significantly when chemical exposure is combined with high noise levels.
What jobs cause hearing loss?
Hearing loss can happen in any job, but some industries carry higher risk because workers face constant machinery noise or ototoxic chemical exposure.
Jobs commonly linked to hearing damage include:
- Construction. Power tools, heavy equipment, and jobsite machinery regularly exceed safe noise limits.
- Mining and oil and gas extraction. Continuous heavy equipment noise combined with fuel and chemical exposure increases risk.
- Agriculture. Tractors, harvesters, grain dryers, and pesticide use create combined noise and chemical exposure.
- Fueling operations and aircraft ground crews. Jet engines and fuel vapors create dual exposure risks.
- Printing and painting trades. These jobs frequently involve solvent exposure along with industrial noise.
- Public safety. Firefighters and law enforcement officers may face sirens, engines, weapons firing, and chemical smoke exposure.
- Manufacturing. Fabricated metal, machinery, plastics, rubber, furniture, textiles, paper and printing, petroleum, paint and chemical production, and battery or electrical equipment manufacturing often involve both loud equipment and chemical solvents.
- Utilities and transportation equipment manufacturing. Shipbuilding, aircraft work, and industrial vehicle production often involve high-decibel environments.
- Waste management and recycling. Heavy machinery and chemical hazards are common.
The bottom line: If your job regularly exposes you to loud environments, industrial solvents, heavy metals, or fuel fumes, your risk of permanent hearing loss is significantly higher.
How much can you claim for hearing loss at work?
If your hearing loss is work-related, the amount you receive depends on the severity of the loss and your wages, but your workers’ comp benefits may include:
- Medical benefits. This includes coverage for any necessary treatment, including hearing tests, specialist visits, hearing aids, and other necessary treatment.
- Wage loss benefits. If your hearing loss causes you to miss work while being evaluated or treated, you may receive temporary disability benefits:
- Temporary total disability (TTD). Generally, two-thirds of your average weekly wage (AWW) while you can’t work.
- Temporary partial disability (TPD). Two-thirds of the difference between what you earned before and what you can earn after the injury, if you return at reduced pay.
- Permanent disability benefits. If your hearing loss is permanent, Colorado law assigns a set number of months of compensation:
- 35 weeks for total loss in one ear
- 139 weeks for total loss in both ears
Payment is based on your compensation rate at work, which is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage (AWW), subject to state limits. For example, if your AWW is $900, your weekly benefit rate would be about $600. For total loss in one ear, that weekly rate would be paid for 35 weeks.
Permanent total disability benefits are rare for hearing loss alone but may apply if your condition, combined with other impairments, prevents you from working in any job.
How to prove hearing loss is work-related
A successful workers’ comp claim for hearing loss in Colorado needs to show that your job caused or significantly contributed to the damage.
Strong proof usually includes:
- Audiology testing. A hearing exam documenting measurable, permanent hearing loss.
- Medical opinion. A doctor or specialist linking the pattern of your hearing loss to workplace noise or chemical exposure, rather than aging.
- Work history evidence. Records or testimony showing regular exposure to loud equipment, engines, tools, or ototoxic chemicals.
- Noise level documentation. Safety records, OSHA logs, or evidence of high-decibel environments at your workplace.
- Timing of symptoms. Evidence that your hearing problems developed during your employment, not before.
Insurance companies often argue that hearing loss is age-related or caused by hobbies like hunting or loud music. That’s why medical support and a clear work-exposure history are critical.
If your hearing loss claim has been denied or there’s a dispute over your impairment rating, reach out to a local Colorado work injury lawyer for help gathering the right evidence and challenging weak or incomplete evaluations.
Need help with a workers’ comp claim for hearing loss in Colorado?
If you’re dealing with permanent hearing loss from your job in Colorado and struggling with your claim, getting local legal help can make a real difference.
The Denver work injury attorneys at Babcock Tucker understand how hearing loss claims are evaluated locally, how to document noise and chemical exposure, and how to present your case so you get the full benefits you’re entitled to under Colorado law.
Schedule a free consultation with Babcock Tucker today to discuss your situation and learn how we can help maximize your claim.
References
CDC. (2024, May 31). Overall Statistics – All U.S. Industries. Noise and Hearing Loss. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/noise/surveillance/overall.html
DOWC Quick Reference Guide.pdf | Powered by Box. (2026). Box.com. https://codwc.app.box.com/s/h0pgdtni0cqo4v86m0ytprztoa0wbxwb
OSHA. (2019). 1910.95 – Occupational noise exposure. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Osha.gov. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.95
