A Dublin firefighter who claims to have suffered hearing loss due to exposure to loud sirens and bells has brought a High Court action for damages.
Danny Conroy, Auburn Drive, Castleknock, Dublin, has sued Dublin City Council alleging hearing loss due to exposure to the loud sirens and bells in the fire station and, in particular, on fire tenders. Mr Conroy (48) has been stationed at Phibsboro Fire Station for most of his career.
He claims a failure to provide any or any adequate hearing protection while sirens or bells were being operated, that his hearing loss is worse in the left ear and that he has problems with speech discrimination if there is background noise. Opening the case, David Hardiman SC, for Mr Conroy, said his client will need a hearing aid in the future, first in his left ear and then in both. His home and social life had been severely discommoded.
Counsel said Mr Conroy was exposed to sufficient noise to cause hearing damage and did not have ear muffs or ear plugs until the council recently brought in a system of hearing protection. There was no other possible source of the hearing loss.
In his evidence, Mr Conroy said he had been a fireman since 1981. He had not received hearing protection nor advice on the matter.
He first saw ear plugs in 2001 in a box in the emergency rescue unit and he wore them, but at that stage he knew he had hearing problems. A hearing test of September 2000 showed he had suffered noise induced hearing loss and it was occupational in character, he said.
Driving fire engines was noisy in itself and there was noise "all the time", he said. The fire engine siren would be on most of the time as they went to a fire scene. The new type siren was particularly loud and loud noise hurt his ears even with ear plugs on.
Mr Conroy also told Mr Justice Paul Butler he would like to stay working with the Dublin Fire Brigade if he can. The hearing resumes on Wednesday.