Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service Eases Criteria for 'Noise-Induced Hearing Loss' Recognition... "Occupational Injury Compensation for Retired Elderly"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] #. Worker A, who worked for 20 years at a ship manufacturing company, was continuously exposed to noise levels of 82 decibels during his employment period. However, he was denied industrial accident compensation because the noise-induced hearing loss recognition standard (85 decibels) was not met.

#. Mr. B worked at a mining site for 15 years and was diagnosed with presbycusis 24 years after retirement. However, he was denied industrial accident compensation because it was difficult to recognize the hearing loss as noise-induced due to the long time since retirement and the mixed presence of noise-induced hearing loss and presbycusis (bilateral hearing thresholds of 48 and 50 decibels).

With the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service's improvement of the noise-induced hearing loss recognition criteria, cases like these will now be eligible for industrial accident compensation.

The Service implemented new standards starting from the 2nd, which recognize hearing loss as a work-related disease if the worker was exposed to continuous noise of 85 decibels or higher for more than 3 years, even if the cause of hearing loss is mixed between work-related and non-work-related factors, unless the Service can prove that the hearing loss is due to non-work-related causes.

Previously, noise-induced hearing loss was recognized as a work-related disease only if the worker was exposed to noise of 85 decibels or higher for more than 3 years and had hearing loss of 40 decibels or more. If these criteria were not met, industrial accident compensation was not granted.

Even if workers exposed to noise were diagnosed with presbycusis, it was difficult to determine the contribution of noise and aging, making it hard to receive industrial accident compensation until now.

Due to the newly implemented recognition criteria, workers who slightly fall short of the noise exposure standard or who were diagnosed with presbycusis at an advanced age long after retiring from noisy workplaces now have a path to receive industrial accident compensation.

Asymmetric hearing loss and mixed hearing loss can also be compensated after professional review by an expert evaluation body that comprehensively considers individual susceptibility and noise exposure levels.

The Service stated that even for cases where decisions were completed before the implementation of the new criteria, if re-submitted, the new standards will be applied to re-determine industrial accident approval.

Kang Soon-hee, Director of the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service, said, "By significantly improving the noise-induced hearing loss recognition criteria, we expect to provide more benefits to workers exposed to noise. We will continue to improve the system so that more workers can receive industrial accident compensation by prioritizing people in all value judgments."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.