Supporting Staff with Hearing Loss in Noisy Workplaces
Working in noisy environments - like retail stores, hospitality venues, factories, and warehouses - can be challenging for anyone. For staff members with hearing loss, background noise can make everyday tasks, conversations, and team meetings much harder.
Thankfully, with the right technology, workplace adjustments, and awareness, all employees can thrive in busy, noisy settings.
Why Noisy Workplaces Are Challenging for Hearing Aid Users
Most modern hearing aids are designed with microphones that are placed at the back of the device, which helps pick up sounds around the wearer. They're brilliant at general amplification, but in environments with a lot of background noise, hearing aids can really struggle. This is especially true if:
- The speaker is a little distance away
- Multiple people are speaking at once
- Machinery, music, or crowds create competing background noise
In these situations, staff may miss important information, feel fatigued and frustrated, or struggle to participate fully in team communication.
Assistive Listening Devices That Help Speech Cut Through Noise
While it's not the sole solution, technology can really help bridge the gap, allowing staff to hear what matters. Some of the most effective solutions for noisy workplaces include:
1. Phonak Roger On
The Roger On is a versatile microphone system designed to improve speech understanding in challenging environments. Key features include:
- Can be hand-held and pointed directly towards the speaker
- Can clip to the speaker like a lapel mic
- Connects to computers and other devices, ideal for a hybrid environment
- Helps employees focus on specific voices amidst background noise
Use cases:
- During briefings on a factory floor with loud machinery running
- Team huddles in busy retail or industrial environments
- Training sessions in hospitality venues with music or chatter
2. Phonak Clip-On Microphone
The clip-on mic is perfect for one-to-one conversations where background noise is an issue. Staff can clip it to a colleague or customer, ensuring that the person's voice is clear and intelligible, even in loud surroundings.
Use cases:
- Speaking to colleagues on a noisy warehouse floor
- One-to-one training or briefings in retail or hospitality
- Customer service interactions in busy areas with background music or chatter
3. Loop Systems
Other assistive listening solutions include:
- Loop systems for briefing rooms, office spaces, or reception desks (bonus, these can also be useful for customers!)
- Portable loop systems - a temporary, portable loop system that can be moved around the workplace
Practical Tips to Support Employees in Noisy Workplaces
Technology works best when paired with wider communication habits and workplace adjustments:
- Staff training on communication tips: encourage colleagues to face the person when speaking, rephrase or repeat information patiently, and avoid shouting unnecessarily
- Deaf awareness training: organisations like Deaf Umbrella provide workplace training to increase understanding and inclusivity
- Good lighting: helps staff pick up on visual cues and lip reading
- Quiet zones: where possible, provide spaces for staff to communicate without background noise
- Flexible scheduling: allowing staff to take calls or do certain tasks in quieter periods of the day
Workplace Inclusion Starts Here
Supporting staff with hearing loss in noisy workplaces doesn't have to be difficult. A combination of assistive listening technology, staff awareness, and simple adjustments can make a huge difference.
Combine all these, and you'll see an improvement in productivity, reduced fatigue and frustration, and a much more inclusive workplace.
Your next step:
👉 Learn more about hearing inclusion in the workplace, and download our free guide here!
Need friendly, expert advice? Give us a call! We’re always happy to help.
📧 Email us at info@connevans.com
📞 Call the team 01737 247571