Impact of daily noise exposure monitoring on occupational noise exposures in manufacturing workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cullen MR ; Dixon-Ernst C ; Galusha D ; Kirsche SR ; McTague MF ; Rabinowitz PM ; Slade MD
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: Despite the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs), noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) remains one of the most prevalent occupational conditions. A new technology allows for daily monitoring of noise exposures under HPDs. We report on an intervention employing the voluntary use of this technology in a worksite setting. DESIGN: Volunteers were fitted with a device allowing them to monitor noise exposure under their hearing protection on a daily basis. The trends in noise exposures for individuals who completed at least six months of the intervention were analysed. STUDY SAMPLE: Recruitment occurred at three manufacturing facilities, with 127 workers enrolling and 66 workers actively using the device during their work shifts. RESULTS: Among volunteers downloading regularly, the percentage of daily exposures in excess of the OSHA action level (85 dBA) decreased from 14% to 8%, while the percentage of daily exposures in excess of 90 dBA decreased from 4% to less than 2%. CONCLUSION: Initial results from this longitudinal study indicate that volunteers find daily noise exposure monitoring to be feasible, and that workers who monitor daily are able to reduce exposures. The results of subject adherence shed light on the challenges and possibilities of worksite interventions for health and safety. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Ear Environmental Exposure Environmental Monitoring Hearing Hearing Loss Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Noise Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety Sense Organs Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Exposure Monitoring Biological-monitoring Ear-protectors Ears Environmental-technology Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Exposure-limits Hearing-conservation Hearing-loss Hearing-protection Humans Industrial-environment Industrial-exposures Industrial-factory-workers Injury-prevention Intervention Study Long-term-study Monitoring-systems Monitors Noise-exposure Noise-induced-hearing-loss Noise-levels Noise-measurement Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  1499-2027
• 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
• Volume:
  52
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20042908
• Citation:
  Int J Audiol 2013 Feb; 52(S1):S3-S8
• Contact Point Address:
  Michael McTague, 135 College Street, 3rd Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
• Email:
  michael.mctague@yale.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20070701
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Audiology
• Supplement:
  S1
• End Date:
  20170630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5ea8a50a06c31c906f04150d67e55cb5609d1c7b616c69355df15dbf6f8b838c59150c76a286813e8558dbbd3896e24f487307f31c5c8d3e622ba983da6821f6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194976/cdc_194976_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.70 KB ]