The former owners of Shipley, West Yorkshire-based web printer WE Berry, which closed down in 2004, agreed an out of court settlement with 69-year-old Roy Walton after he claimed that he had suffered hearing loss as a direct result of working with loud machinery without being offered ear protection.

Walton, who worked at the print firm from 1975 until its closure, has since suffered a marked decline in his hearing and now requires hearing aids. 

Sarah Tagg, a paralegal at law firm Irwin Mitchell, specialises in industrial hearing loss cases and worked on Walton’s case and said his story was not uncommon.

“We are still coming across a lot of people who worked in print and other noisy environments that suffered similar damage between the 60s and 90s.

“Printing machinery can be extremely noisy and, as with Mr Walton’s case, there were lots of other machines around, like guillotines and trimmers, that exacerbated that. 

“There is gradual reduction in hearing loss; often it takes years for them to realise they have a problem and for some it comes on very suddenly with the onset of age.” 

Tagg explained that the Noise at Work regulations, that require employers to provide protection and inform staff of the potential dangers, were not introduced until 1992.

“But many people, Mr Walton included, had already gone decades without. Had he had that protection then clearly his hearing wouldn’t have been as damaged as it is." 

She added: “Mr Walton does now need hearing aids and the settlement will help him pay for those in the future.” 

Walton received around £3,700 in compensation. The average award in similar cases, according to Tagg is around £5,000.