Assessing Noise Exposures in Farm Youths

Details

• Personal Author:
  Lander LI ; Perry MJ ; Rudnick SN
• Description:
  Objective: This exploratory study evaluated the feasibility of field exposure assessment methods to characterize the noise sources and levels that farm youths experience during a typical workday. Methods: Detailed exposure assessments were performed with a sample of 10 farm youths working on Vermont dairy farms to characterize potential noise hazards typical in the farm setting. Personal and area noise measurements were taken using noise dosimeters. Information concerning work- and non-work-related noise exposure histories was collected via questionnaire. Results: The average age was 15.5 years (SD 2.5, range 10-18). Youths started working at an average age of 8.4 years (SD 2.3, range 6-12) and during the summer months worked an average of 41.3 hours per week (SD 32.3, range 2-68). Two youths exceeded the OSHA action level, having eight-hour time-weighted averages of 95 dBA and 92 dBA, or alternatively, doses of 206% and 127%. (The OSHA action level for the hearing conservation amendment is an eight-hour timeweighted average of 85 dBA or a dose of 50%.) Participants exceeding the action level reported working with tractors, skid steers (Bobcats), and all-terrain vehicles and doing general barn work. Additional sources of noise exposure included a mechanical silo elevator, chain saw, and wood splitter. Conclusion: Two of the monitored subjects were overexposed to noise in their farm work. Youths may be exposed to noise levels that exceed adult OSHA hearing conservation amendment action level as part of their daily farm activities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Agriculture Automobiles Environmental Exposure Farmers Hearing Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety

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• Keywords:
  Adsorbents Age Groups Agricultural Health Author Keywords: Farm Exposure Levels Farm Workers Hearing Conservation Hearing Level Humans Motor Vehicles Noise Exposure Noise Levels Risk Factors Skid-steer Loaders Tractors Young Workers Youths

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• ISSN:
  1059-924X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  25-32
• Volume:
  12
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057359
• Citation:
  J Agromedicine 2007 Jun; 12(2):25-32
• Contact Point Address:
  Melissa J. Perry, ScD, MHS, Department of Environmental Health, Building 1, Room 1413, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
• Email:
  mperry@hsph.harvard.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Agromedicine
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a0b0ac8ce16d61e8b79bf3f057d14a51325a18969a64ae401d6d31c9e8ba0273032e16b8483f4b7d1c2a1c8a7732921ec1bc39c225a8c305fa5b5fa61daed647
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214742/cdc_214742_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.07 MB ]