Evaluating Hearing Loss Risks in the Mining Industry Through MSHA Citations [2018-03]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Azman, Amanda S. ; Sun K
• Description:
  A new noise regulation for the mining industry became effective in 2000, providing a consistent regulatory requirement for both coal and non-coal mining divisions. The new rule required mines to implement hearing conservation programs, including a system of continuous noise monitoring, provision of hearing protection devices, audiometric testing, hearing loss training, and record keeping. The goal of this study was to assess hearing conservation program compliance, and excessive noise exposure and hearing loss risks for both coal and non-coal mining divisions through evaluating MSHA citations. We analyzed 13,446 MSHA citations from 2000 to 2014 pertinent to 30 CFR Part 62. Descriptive statistics were generated and comparisons were made among mines of different commodities. In addition, one-way ANOVA on ranks was conducted to estimate the correlation between excess risks and establishment size. Results showed that 25.6% of coal mines and 14.7% of non-coal mines were cited at least once during this period of time. Larger numbers of noncompliance were seen in stone, sand and gravel mines (SSG). Results also suggested inadequate efforts in both audiometric testing and minimizing risk after excessive noise exposure. Finally, establishment size of mine was correlated with the increasing risk of noncompliance. We anticipate that this study can guide resource allocation for preventing noise-induced hearing loss, and help improve risk management in mining. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hearing Hearing Loss Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Mining Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Audiometry Author Keywords: Hearing Conservations Compliance Hearing Conservation Hearing Loss Hearing Loss Prevention Hearing Protection MSHA Citations Noise Control Noise Controls Noise Induced Hearing Loss Regulations

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• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PMRD - Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  246-262
• Volume:
  15
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20050701
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2018 Mar; 15(3):246-262
• Contact Point Address:
  Kan Sun, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh Mining Research Division, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236
• Email:
  KSun@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:390e88b0ae198a9559ad52765103ff7bacb7e4e7019e1c69a092292d415a183a1c6de80a69e568608f1dec672138c9edb7a356eafca338c5f1429632e0ff6d68
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/227610/cdc_227610_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.29 MB ]