Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss Among Workers at a Hammer Forge Company

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brueck, Scott E. ; Eisenberg, Judith S. ; Krieg, Edward Jr. ; Morata, Thais C. ; Murphy, William J. ; Zechmann EL ; Brueck, Scott E. ; Eisenberg, Judith S. ; Krieg, Edward Jr. ; Morata, Thais C. ; Murphy, William J. ; Zechmann EL
• Description:
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated continuous and impact noise exposures and hearing loss among workers at a hammer forge company. Full-shift personal noise exposure measurements were collected on forge workers across 15 different job titles; impact noise characteristics and one-third octave band noise levels were assessed at the forge hammers; and 4,750 historic audiometric test records for 483 workers were evaluated for hearing loss trends. Nearly all workers' noise exposures exceeded regulatory and/or recommended exposure limits. Workers working in jobs at or near the hammers had full-shift time-weighted average noise exposures above 100 decibels, A-weighted. Impact noise at the hammers reached up to 148 decibels. Analysis of audiometric test records showed that 82% of workers had experienced a significant threshold shift, as defined by NIOSH, and 63% had experienced a standard threshold shift, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). All workers with an OSHA standard threshold shift had a preceding NIOSH significant threshold shift which occurred, on average, about 7 years prior. This evaluation highlights forge workers' exposures to high levels of noise, including impact noise, and how their hearing worsened with age and length of employment. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hearing Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Noise Hammer Forge Hearing Loss Hearing Threshold Impact Noise Noise-induced Hearing Loss Noise Exposure Noise Induced Hearing Loss Threshold Shift
• ISSN:
  0734-0451
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Pages in Document:
  485-502
• Volume:
  44
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068141
• Citation:
  Semin Hear 2023 Nov; 44(4):485-502
• Contact Point Address:
  Scott E. Brueck, M.S., CIH, COHC, Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Branch, Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, Mailstop R-9, Cincinnati, OH, 45226
• Email:
  zcd6@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction ; Services ; Construction ; Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Seminars in Hearing
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:853930987301b3bf0cc72c96b59b6161fb465f64785df9d109ac63a7f8d67ba72f9bf82f04a2f4bc2800649aecdbeeee5bacad0577092f213070d7d4813f6ec9
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230355/cdc_230355_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.37 MB ]