Industrial deafness - prevention or compensation?

There has been rapid growth in the past decade in the development of legislation to control industrial noise. This article reviews the present situation with regard to employer's liability to protect workers from occupational deafness and an attempt is made to compare the cost to industry of the prevention of deafness with the cost of claims for compensation. A brief account is included of the methods which are available for the control of industrial noise and for the detection and prevention of occupational deafness.