Manchester runner raises awareness of hearing problems in construction industry
15 April 2009
Tom O’Reilly of Levenshulme in Manchester, has a hearing impairment and is running this year’s London marathon to raise awareness of unsafe noise levels at work – particularly in the construction industry.
Tom has always wanted to run the London marathon. When he went online to apply, he found that out of all the listed charities, Deafness Research UK resonated with him; not only does he have hearing problems himself, he works in the construction industry where workers can regularly be subjected to unhealthy noise levels.
You can sponsor Tom at www.justgiving.com/tombigrun.
Tom said: “I noticed that Deafness Research UK was one of the charities that I could support and it just jumped out at me!. The charity does great research into the causes of deafness, and raises awareness of how to protect your ears. This is a message that needs to be communicated loud and clear, particularly in the construction industry where I work. Some friends of mine ran the marathon last year and I went along as a spectator. It was a great day and I decided to finally make reality of something that had been a personal goal for me. When I started to look in to the application procedure.“
Tom had worked as a DJ in the past and had spent many years in noisy clubs. Tom said: “Although I have never consulted a doctor I know that my hearing has suffered from the amount of time spent stood next to noisy speakers, wearing headphones and being in clubs where the sounds levels were really high. There is nothing I can do about the past but now that we know there are things we can do to protect our ears I think we need to be more careful. The Deafness Research UK website is really informative and has prompted me to be much more careful about the volume levels on my i-pod and the volume of the stereo in the car.”
Tom now works in the construction industry and although he is not always on site he is concerned about the potential harm for industry workers, as many don’t take heed of advice on health and safety. Tom said: “I always carry earplugs around with me and construction workers are also provided with them - but far too many don’t bother to wear them. At the end of the day, it is an individual’s responsibility to look after their ears and so I really want to help to highlight this within the construction sector. I am looking forward to running the marathon and I hope that the money I raise helps Deafness Research UK to carry on raising awareness about looking after you ears.”
For information on research into deafness and other hearing conditions, log on to the website, www.deafnessresearch.org.uk.
Notes for editors
About Deafness Research UK
- Deafness Research UK is the country’s only charity dedicated to finding new cures, treatments and technologies for deaf, hard of hearing and other hearing impaired people.
- The charity supports high quality medical research into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all forms of hearing impairment including tinnitus.
- The Deafness Research UK Information Service provides free information and advice based on the latest scientific evidence and informed by leading experts. The Information Service can be contacted on Freephone 0808 808 2222
- For more information on research into deafness, tinnitus and other hearing conditions, log on to the website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk where you can access a wide range of information. Alternatively you can e-mail Deafness Research UK at
- One in seven people in the UK – almost nine million people - suffer hearing loss.
- Deafness Research UK was founded in 1985 by Lord (Jack) and Lady Ashley of Stoke.
- In January 2008, Action for Tinnitus Research (ATR) was linked with Deafness Research UK under a uniting direction order under Section 96 (6) of the Charities Act 1993.
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Ref: DRUK0128–Tom O’Reilly marathon
