Worker opens deafness case against ESB

An ESB employee who is taking a deafness claim against the company has told the High Court that he has suffered considerable hearing loss becasue of noisy working conditions.

59-year-old Bernard Farrell from Ballinteer, Co Dublin, who has been an ESB employee for 30 years, said he was never given adequate warning about the damage that might be caused to his hearing by working in the Poolbeg power station in Dublin.

He said he was concerned about his increasing deafness for a number of years but alarm bells rang when he was told he was suffering from industrial damage.

The landmark case is expected to continue for a number of days and may precipitate a flood of such claims if it is successful.