A claimant alleged that her former employer – a manufacturer of loudspeakers – was responsible for her hearing damage, as her work involved testing the speakers by playing tones through them and listening for defects.
Finch acoustic engineering expert Timothy Ward was instructed by the parties to advise the Court. By forensic examination of disclosed documents, Tim could advise the Court that speakers were initially tested by listening; and that progressive noise exposure was reduced by reconfiguring the test tones, then by automation, and finally by removing the tester from the test cabin.
Whether the company acted quickly enough in introducing lower-risk testing methods was for the Court to find.
