Welcome Guest! The IOSH forums are a free resource to both members and non-members. Login or register to use them

Postings made by forum users are personal opinions. IOSH is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any of the information contained in forum postings. Please carefully consider any advice you receive.

Notification

Icon
Error

Options
Go to last post Go to first unread
LaserSafetyGuy  
#1 Posted : 23 April 2025 09:41:57(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
LaserSafetyGuy

Hi, we have a new staff member working in our cleanroom and he has just told me he suffers from tinnitus. He made HR aware when accepting the postion but they never thought to pass this information on! 

We regularly measure the noise in our cleanroom and it well below the action level but there is a constant hum from a few bits of equipment. Just wondering if anyone has dealt with this in the past and how I can possibly assits our new staff member. Thanks

firesafety101  
#2 Posted : 23 April 2025 10:01:54(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
firesafety101

You could ask the new employee what happened in past employments to ease the tinnitus like playing music while he works.

Kate  
#3 Posted : 23 April 2025 10:10:38(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Kate

People have differing experiences of their tinnitus so I agree the best thing is to ask the employee what they find helps them.

Roundtuit  
#4 Posted : 23 April 2025 11:20:02(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Originally Posted by: LaserSafetyGuy Go to Quoted Post
He made HR aware when accepting the postion but they never thought to pass this information on!

Sorry but why would/should they?

You may find this to be a case of GDPR - you do not disclose everyone's medical maladies.

thanks 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
peter gotch on 23/04/2025(UTC), peter gotch on 23/04/2025(UTC)
Roundtuit  
#5 Posted : 23 April 2025 11:20:02(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Originally Posted by: LaserSafetyGuy Go to Quoted Post
He made HR aware when accepting the postion but they never thought to pass this information on!

Sorry but why would/should they?

You may find this to be a case of GDPR - you do not disclose everyone's medical maladies.

thanks 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
peter gotch on 23/04/2025(UTC), peter gotch on 23/04/2025(UTC)
WatsonD  
#6 Posted : 24 April 2025 15:10:09(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
WatsonD

I disagree this has anything whatsoever to do with GDPR. It is about the company HR rep using this information to benefit the individual on behalf of the company.

There was a reason he made HR aware, and that person in HR could have just clarified he was okay if this was passed onto H&S as this may have connotations elsewhere in the building where loud noises may be present at certain times.

The fact the OP is aware of this - but not through HR - leads me to think that the new employee in question disclosed this to them, after stating that they had already told HR.

This doesn't show the company in the best light to the new employee, so the OP is well within their rights to be agrieved at the lack of company collaboration.

GDPR should not be an excuse for lack of communication.

Roundtuit  
#7 Posted : 25 April 2025 07:37:26(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Other than recruting to their own department I have yet to find any organisation where solely HR undertake the activity of hiring new staff. Even rarer is the hiring of staff based on an office interview with just HR.

From the OP this is some form of production work infering a manager or supervisor will likely have been involved with interviews and / or the obligatory site tour.

Lack of communication may put the business in a bad light but it is wrong of the OP to lay this issue firmly at the door of HR.

Roundtuit  
#8 Posted : 25 April 2025 07:37:26(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Other than recruting to their own department I have yet to find any organisation where solely HR undertake the activity of hiring new staff. Even rarer is the hiring of staff based on an office interview with just HR.

From the OP this is some form of production work infering a manager or supervisor will likely have been involved with interviews and / or the obligatory site tour.

Lack of communication may put the business in a bad light but it is wrong of the OP to lay this issue firmly at the door of HR.

WatsonD  
#9 Posted : 28 April 2025 08:28:00(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
WatsonD

Originally Posted by: Roundtuit Go to Quoted Post

Other than recruting to their own department I have yet to find any organisation where solely HR undertake the activity of hiring new staff. Even rarer is the hiring of staff based on an office interview with just HR.

From the OP this is some form of production work infering a manager or supervisor will likely have been involved with interviews and / or the obligatory site tour.

Lack of communication may put the business in a bad light but it is wrong of the OP to lay this issue firmly at the door of HR.

I agree he may have told others, but it specifically states in the OP he disclosed this to HR, not anyone else. I would assume this was in the form of a medical form which would have been sent out by HR which is general practice.

Users browsing this topic
Guest (2)
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.