Deafness

[wm460]

Any really deaf blokes here, at the point that hearing aids are no good any more.

I am totally deaf in one ear and cant hear with the other one.
This makes it very dangerous in the shed, I cant hear my table saw etc running.

Just wondering how you cope with every thing, do you have any aids/ equipment to help you?

Thanks in advance.

PS on the plus side I cant hear the missus nagging any more.

 

[mark james]

I'll follow this thread as I recently lost about 25% vision in my left eye. Not the same issue, but others may chime in.

I can still hear the missus coming in the shop, but she looks a bit blurry.

But, I did install a light switch at the outside of my shop. If Wifey wants me to come upstairs, she can flip the switch and a red light lights up above my lathe. It works fine when I am at the lathe, if I am at a bench I don't see it. I can add lights, so this is a possibility for you.

 

[robutacion]

Any really deaf blokes here, at the point that hearing aids are no good any more.

I am totally deaf in one ear and cant hear with the other one.
This makes it very dangerous in the shed, I cant hear my table saw etc running.

Just wondering how you cope with every thing, do you have any aids/ equipment to help you?

Thanks in advance.

PS on the plus side I cant hear the missus nagging any more.

G'day mate,

I knew you had bad hearing problems but not that bad and if the hearing aid is no longer any good, I can only think of one procedure that will restore some of your hearing and that is the Koklea or Cochlear implant I was reading about it the other day, I'm sure theses procedures are done here in Australia, you may have to travel to Darwin or other Capital city, I'm not sure.

I prefer the hear the wife nagging than not being able to hear anything, that also tends to throw peoples balance, have you noticed that...?

When are we going to see you and Cherrie next...?

Take care old friend.

Cheers
George

 

[jttheclockman]

You need to go through and set your machinery up with warning lights or flashers. There are many types that are used in industry that are for things like this and are also redundant systems to alert people of machinery in operation. You will need to do some homework on this and get yourself a good electrician. Not that hard to do for setup and could even be a deductable on insurance or something so need to look into that also. Something that important needs to be taken serious and people here maybe able to help but your home town is where you need to look. Good luck. If blind people can work in shops so can deaf. I think this would be easier to adapt to.

 

[DrD]

Every manufacturing/machining plant I've been in around the world - that would literally be thousands - had what JT is talking about. Come off your "on/off" switch, a little conduit and a swirling light - like on old police cars and fire trucks but smaller - and you'll have an instant visual of what is turned on and what isn't.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Hello Mark. Sounds like I'm one step behind you. Without the hearing aids I'm deaf as a rock. With them my hearing is tolerable at best. I can hear people talking but at times I can't understand what's being said. It's never crossed my mind about not knowing if a machine is on or off. I guess this is one more of the many things I get to look forward to.

 

[DrD]

Too many full house 44 magnum rounds out of o 4" barrel S&W 29 without hearing protection. Legally deaf in right ear and darned close to that in left with 24hr/day ringing. I make a strict habit of checking to make sure a machine turned off as soon as I have completed a task. If more than one task is to be performed, it is a "series" event: turn machine on, execute 1 task, turn machine off, inspect machine, inspect material being machined, set up for next task, turn machine on, etc. When I get to the point that I can more longer execute this protocol, I'll no longer be in the shop.

 

[dogcatcher]

I lost most of my hearing in my right ear 9 February 1969 when a Chicom claymore exploded next to me. In 2004, Agent Orange clogged the artery to my left eye and left me blind in the left eye. Fast forward to April 2019, Agent Orange has left me with double vision on my right eye. Hearing aids help with the hearing, the newer hearing aids are amazing, I can literally hear a pin drop. Back to the sight, I used to have a full blown woodworking shop, that actually made money in it's day. Again, back up in time to 1999, I was having trouble walking, seems that jumping out of helicopters had screwed up my back and I landed up in a wheelchair. 2 Neurologists told me I would never walk again, another Neuro Surgeon said he could help me, seems that the previous injury had calcified and pinched the nerves I my spine. Surgery, and 6 months of rehab, ad I went from a wheelchair to a walker, Walking with a walker sucked, and my woodworking tools became a major hazard. I got ri of the table saws, the joiners, and other hazardous stuff, kept my lathe, bandsaw, and what I considered safe for me to use with limited mobility and screwed up balance.

In other words, you have to know when to hold them and when the time come to get rid of what you cannot safely use. Obituaries cost money to be printed.

 

[sbwertz]

I have switches that go between my tools and the wall. I use them to automatically turn on dust collection when I turn on the tool, but you could set it up to automatically turn on a blinking light when you turn on the tool. It's called the isocket tool and vacuum switch and it's available on amazon....several different brands but the isocket are what I have on the lathes, table saw bandsaw and drill press.

 

[robutacion]

There are great suggestions given here to make the work-shop a lot safer for deaf people and while they are all positive things, I'm surprised that no one has made an observation about the implant I mentioned above, I would expect that the procedure would be covered by Medicare making it financially less strenuous.

By no means, making sure you know when machines are on is great but I would go a lot further to game some of my hearing back, it is possible so that would be my route.

Take care,

Cheers
George

 

[wolf creek knives]

But, I did install a light switch at the outside of my shop. If Wifey wants me to come upstairs, she can flip the switch and a red light lights up above my lathe. It works fine when I am at the lathe, if I am at a bench I don't see it. I can add lights, so this is a possibility for you.

I have the same type set up and my wife knows that if she hears a tool running not to come in until it is shut off. If my back is to the door she will flip the light off and on or knock until she gets my attention. I have rules posted on my door, not for my wife, and the very first rule is don't sneak up on me or scare me. Really bad things can happen when I have tools in my hand, especially a sharp turning tool.

 

[WriteON]

I have the same type set up and my wife knows that if she hears a tool running not to come in until it is shut off. If my back is to the door she will flip the light off and on or knock until she gets my attention. I have rules posted on my door, not for my wife, and the very first rule is don't sneak up on me or scare me. Really bad things can happen when I have tools in my hand, I

especially a sharp turning tool.

My would holler ... sometimes I work in garage with door open... neighbors would pull up and honk. I put up a sign says the 3 rd person to honk gets clubbed... the second one just left.

 

[DrD]

There are great suggestions given here to make the work-shop a lot safer for deaf people and while they are all positive things, I'm surprised that no one has made an observation about the implant I mentioned above, I would expect that the procedure would be covered by Medicare making it financially less strenuous.

By no means, making sure you know when machines are on is great but I would go a lot further to game some of my hearing back, it is possible so that would be my route.

Take care,

Cheers
George

I'm not quite sure what your experience with Medicare is, but I've got several years of experience with it. Let me start out by saying that I'm very thankful for Medicare; it is overall a blessing. Having said that, things that Medicare doesn't cover is astounding, and hearing falls into the uncovered arena, as does dental - unless you have an Advantage Plan, and even then coverage in these area is sketchy at best.

 

[robutacion]

I'm not quite sure what your experience with Medicare is, but I've got several years of experience with it. Let me start out by saying that I'm very thankful for Medicare; it is overall a blessing. Having said that, things that Medicare doesn't cover is astounding, and hearing falls into the uncovered arena, as does dental - unless you have an Advantage Plan, and even then coverage in these area is sketchy at best.

Yes, it is possible that Medicare won't cover such procedure but I need to bring your attention to the fact that, I'm talking about Australian Medicare, I don't know for sure the differences between the Medicare of our both countries but I would expect to be somehow different.

Hopefully, if Mark decides to go that way, he gets the full support of the "system".

Cheers
George

 

[sbwertz]

I know a couple of people with the implants and it has been life changing for them...particularly the blind one!