Jul 26, 2009
Firealarms and Hearing Aids
Blogathon Workspace, 2:30 AM
A company I was working at in the East Coast US a few years ago had a fire-drill. The fire-alarm which while piercing and loud to the normal ear, wasn’t audible to me because my digital hearing aids which were programmed to my hearing needs and to filter background noise didn’t detect the fire-alarm.
As a result, most of my colleagues had stepped out of the building while I was hunched in my cubicle typing in my computer, oblivious to what was going on! Fortunately, it was nothing more than a fire-drill.
Most fire-alarms are usually audible through the hearing aid these days. However, it doesn’t hurt to be careful and be more cognizant of the surroundings.
A Business Systems Analyst pondering over requirements analysis, process improvements, project management, communication, story telling, the meaning of life and how everything fits together. This blog is to share my thoughts on all these and more.
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This is why you should insist that your employer install flashing fire alarms in your workplace. It does not cost that much (maybe $100) but a) This’ll never happen again and b) it helps not only you but anyone else who has difficulty hearing fire alarms.
My employer did it for me at all the locations I’ve worked in the past 3 years – it WORKS! I’m up and out of there with everyone else, no questions asked.
[...] Not all fire-alarms may be audible to all hearing aid users, as I once discovered a few years ago. [...]