The Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of PEI is offering free noise level assessments to Island potato farmers who would like to volunteer and contribute to creating educational materials for the potato industry. The WCB’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Division is looking for six or more potato farmers to take part in this initiative.

“Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to any work-related injury or illness, which includes noise induced hearing loss,” said Danny Miller, the WCB’s Director of Occupational Health and Safety. “Potato farmers are employers, and they know how important it is to keep their workers and themselves safe. But they may not know about the long-term effects of working in a noisy environment if they don’t know what the noise levels are in their workplace.”

Hearing plays a key role in the quality of life of workers and employers alike. Hearing loss can lead to fewer educational and professional opportunities, to social withdrawal due to reduced access to services and difficulties in communicating with others, and to emotional problems caused by a drop of self-esteem and confidence.

Key information about the initiative:

• Participation is on a volunteer basis.
• Noise level assessments are conducted by the WCB free of charge.
• Results will only be shared with individual potato farmers who volunteer, not with anyone else.
• Information gathered will support the development of educational materials for the PEI potato industry.

The WCB’s OHS Division developed the following resource about this specific noise level assessment initiative for potato farmers. The Division will have a booth at the upcoming International Potato Technology Expo, taking place February 22 and 23, at the Eastlink Centre. The WCB also has a dedicated webpage on noise as a workplace hazard, which includes resources such as the guide for Developing a Hearing Conservation Program and the Guide to Audiometric Testing: https://wcb.pe.ca/Workplace/Noise 

 The WCB serves over 6,600 employers and over 84,000 workers throughout Prince Edward Island. It  partners with employers and workers in building safe and healthy workplaces and supports recovery, if an injury occurs, through the administration of the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Serious work-related injuries and explosions must be reported by calling the 24-hour Occupational Health and Safety Emergency Line at 902-628-7513.  

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