Sellafield Deafness, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Network

Deaf Awareness Week 2022 provides the opportunity to highlight the great support Sellafield Ltd employees are providing to colleagues and their families with issues relating to deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus.

One in 6 people in the UK currently experience some degree of deafness/hearing loss and one in 10 people live with tinnitus.

With a workforce the size of Sellafield Ltd’s, it’s expected that quite a few employees are touched in some way by these conditions, either directly or via family and friends.

Tim Naylor and Tracey Standring recently set up the Sellafield Ltd Deafness, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus network to offer support and raise awareness across the organisation.

Tracey said:

The network, which currently has 15 members, came together in response to enquiries about hearing-related support in the workplace. We have had a small number of network on-line meetings via a collaborate platform, which is a great tool for us to use since it has closed captions.

The network provides an opportunity to talk to others about our individual experiences, it’s great to share similar stories and more importantly how we have addressed challenges and barriers.

One of the areas we have discussed at length at the meetings is the assistive technology available to support us at work.

The network has already helped each of us get a clearer idea of this, with some now having asked their audiologists for more up-to-date hearing aids with Bluetooth technology to make use of phones easier.

Tim said:

The network, that is still being formally established, exists to provide support, particularly in the era of changing working patterns and advancing technology; also, learn about how to use additional equipment in conference rooms and the use of Bluetooth devices, and other means to integrate fully with work colleagues.

Alyson Armett, Sellafield Ltd’s Strategy & Planning Director is the senior sponsor of the network. She said:

I’m delighted to offer my support, and I want to ensure that everyone across our organisation has access to hearing related support in the workplace.