Effect of daily noise exposure monitoring on annual rates of hearing loss in industrial workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cullen MR ; Dixon-Ernst C ; Galusha D ; Kirsche SR ; Rabinowitz PM ; Slade MD
• Description:
  OBJECTIVES: Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is prevalent, yet evidence on the effectiveness of preventive interventions is lacking. The effectiveness of a new technology allowing workers to monitor daily at-ear noise exposure was analysed. METHODS: Workers in the hearing conservation program of an aluminium smelter were recruited because of accelerated rates of hearing loss. The intervention consisted of daily monitoring of at-ear noise exposure and regular feedback on exposures from supervisors. The annual rate of change in high frequency hearing average at 2, 3 and 4 KHz before intervention (2000-2004) and 4 years after intervention (2006-2009) was determined. Annual rates of loss were compared between 78 intervention subjects and 234 controls in other company smelters matched for age, gender and high frequency hearing threshold level in 2005. RESULTS: Individuals monitoring daily noise exposure experienced on average no further worsening of high frequency hearing (average rate of hearing change at 2, 3 and 4 KHz = -0.5 dB/year). Matched controls also showed decelerating hearing loss, the difference in rates between the two groups being significant (p less than 0.0001). Analysis of a subset of intervention subjects matched to controls for initial rate of hearing loss showed a similar trend but the difference was not statistically significant (p equals 0.06). CONCLUSION: Monitoring daily occupational noise exposure inside hearing protection with ongoing administrative feedback apparently reduces the risk of occupational NIHL in industrial workers. Longer follow-up of these workers will help determine the significance of the intervention effect. Intervention studies for the prevention of NIHL need to include appropriate control groups. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Ear Environmental Exposure Environmental Monitoring Hearing Hearing Loss Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Metals Metal Workers Noise Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Sense Organs Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Administration Biological-monitoring Control-methods Control-technology Ears Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Hearing-conservation Hearing-loss Hearing-protection Hearing-threshold Industrial-environment Industrial-exposures Industrial-factory-workers Injury-prevention Monitoring-systems Noise-exposure Noise-induced-hearing-loss Noise-levels Noise-measurement Smelters Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Connecticut ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  414-418
• Volume:
  68
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20039354
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2011 Jun; 68(6):414-418
• Contact Point Address:
  Peter M Rabinowitz, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 135 College Street, 3rd Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
• Email:
  peter.rabinowitz@yale.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing ; Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities
• Performing Organization:
  Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20070701
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20170630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:92c250d84b2db4e4373d6aed840f30c2cd6c10fd4315693d313d299d9c8f21f49e75205729e6dd2cacbb6934bee900da1f72ffd435174df4b66d7a00849fac13
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192686/cdc_192686_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 247.21 KB ]