TL;DR
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) craftsmen work in sustained industrial noise: vehicle workshops, power tools, engine test facilities, and in-situ engine running during repair. Former and serving REME personnel can claim compensation from the MoD where hearing protection was inadequate. Compensation ranges from £8,560 to £133,810 under the [Judicial College Guidelines](https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications/guidelines-for-the-assessment-of-general-damages-in-personal-injury-cases/) (17th Edition, 2024). No minimum service period. No win, no fee. The MoD settlement scheme closes **the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances**.
REME craftsmen keep the British Army's vehicles, aircraft, weapons, and equipment running. That mission places them in workshops, engine bays, and test facilities throughout their careers — industrial noise environments governed by the same Health and Safety Executive noise standards that apply to civilian mechanics and engineers. Those standards require employers to protect workers from harmful noise. The MoD was subject to the same obligation, and where it failed, REME veterans can claim compensation.
What noise sources do REME craftsmen face?
REME hearing loss arises from several sustained industrial noise environments:
Vehicle workshops. REME LADs (Light Aid Detachments) and base workshops repair and maintain everything from Land Rovers to Challenger 2 tanks. Vehicle workshop noise includes angle grinders, impact wrenches, air chisels, bench grinders, hydraulic press equipment, and diesel engines running during diagnostic and repair procedures. Sustained workshop noise in the 85–100dB range was typical, and extended working days meant high cumulative exposure.
In-situ engine running. A vehicle engine run for diagnostics, post-repair testing, or fault-finding while in situ produces noise at and around the vehicle that exceeds safe thresholds — particularly for diesel engines in Challenger 2, AS90, FV432, and DROPS heavy vehicles. Mechanics working at close range to a running engine without hearing protection were exposed to the same sustained noise as vehicle crew on the move, but without the partial insulation of being inside the hull.
Aircraft maintenance. REME Aviation and REME technicians attached to Army Air Corps units maintained Lynx, Apache, Gazelle, and Wildcat helicopters. Aircraft engine runs — conducted as part of routine maintenance, post-repair checks, and power assurance tests — exposed technicians to sustained turboshaft noise in the 95–110dB range. Unlike aircrew, maintenance personnel conducting engine runs typically did not wear helmets with noise attenuation.
Power tools and fabrication. Metal fabrication, welding preparation, and general repair use angle grinders, bench grinders, chisels, and saws generating high-frequency noise well above safe exposure limits. REME craftsmen in vehicle and general engineering trades used these tools daily across long careers.
Recovery operations. REME recovery mechanics (Class 2 and Class 1 recovery trades) operate Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicles and wheeled recovery vehicles. The noise exposure profile of CRARRV and wheeled recovery operations combines vehicle noise with recovery winch and lifting equipment.
What was the MoD required to do?
The MoD was required under its duty of care to assess noise levels in REME workshops and maintenance environments, provide appropriate hearing protection for each task, enforce its use, and conduct audiometric testing to detect developing hearing damage. Workshop environments were also subject to the Control of Noise at Work Regulations, which applied to military as well as civilian workplaces from 2006 (and to some degree under earlier predecessor regulations).
Many REME veterans report that hearing protection in workshops was available — ear defenders hanging on a hook — but that its use was not enforced, that it was impractical for certain fine-work tasks, and that audiometric testing was not consistently conducted across LADs and base workshops.
Where the MoD failed in these obligations, it bears legal responsibility. Our page on common causes of military hearing loss covers industrial workshop noise as well as weapons exposure.
REME's cross-corps exposure
REME is unique in being embedded across every other arm and service. A REME LAD attached to a Royal Artillery regiment was exposed to both workshop noise and artillery firing. A REME detachment with an armoured regiment added vehicle noise to workshop exposure. Technicians on air corps units added aircraft engine noise to their maintenance workshop load.
This cumulative cross-corps noise exposure can increase the total noise dose and therefore the severity of the NIHL that results. When building a REME hearing loss claim, the full service history — not just the workshop time — is relevant evidence.
Who can make a REME hearing loss claim?
Any former or serving member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers who developed hearing loss or tinnitus during or following service is potentially eligible. Trade groups include:
- Vehicle Mechanics (VM A and B — wheeled and tracked)
- Aircraft Technicians (AAvn — aviation trade)
- Armament Technicians (AT — weapons and fire control)
- Electricians (Elec)
- Recovery Mechanics (Rec Mech)
- Electronic Technicians and Communications Systems Engineers
- REME officers and warrant officers serving in technical roles
There is no minimum service period.
Compensation amounts
Awards are assessed under the Judicial College Guidelines (17th Edition, 2024).
| Condition | Compensation range |
|---|---|
| Total deafness (no tinnitus) | £110,750 to £133,810 |
| Complete loss in one ear (with complications) | £38,210 to £55,570 |
| Severe NIHL with severe tinnitus | £36,260 to £55,570 |
| Moderate NIHL and tinnitus | £18,180 to £36,260 |
| Mild tinnitus with some NIHL | £15,370 to £18,180 |
| Mild NIHL or mild tinnitus alone | Around £14,300 |
| Slight tinnitus with slight NIHL | £8,890 to £15,370 |
| Slight loss or tinnitus alone | Up to £8,560 |
Special damages — hearing aids, lost earnings, private treatment — are assessed in addition. See our compensation amounts guide.
Time limits and the MoD settlement scheme
Standard limitation: three years from your date of knowledge. Courts retain Section 33 discretion for late claims. MoD settlement scheme deadline: the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances. Claims submitted before this date are processed within the scheme's agreed framework.
Frequently asked questions
Does workshop noise count the same as weapons noise for a claim?+
Yes. Both are occupational noise exposures governed by the same duty of care. The MoD was required to protect REME craftsmen from workshop noise exactly as it was required to protect infantry from range noise. The legal framework is identical.
I was an Aircraft Technician with REME Aviation — does that strengthen my claim?+
It gives you a two-strand claim: workshop noise from maintenance tasks, and aircraft engine-run noise from post-repair functional checks. Both are assessed in the claim. AAC-attached REME technicians often had the highest total noise dose of any REME trade.
What if I was attached to different corps throughout my career?+
Your entire service history is relevant. REME craftsmen attached to Royal Artillery, Armoured Corps, and AAC units accumulated noise exposure from those units in addition to their REME workshop baseline. A longer and more varied service history generally produces stronger evidence.