Hearing protection among oil-rig workers improved significantly after they underwent testing for properly fitting earplugs, according to a new study by NIOSH. The researchers reported the findings of their study in the International Journal of Audiology.
In the workplace, hearing loss related to loud noise is a persistent problem worldwide. In the United States alone, loud noise exposes an estimated 22 million workers to hearing loss annually, according to information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Although hearing loss is irreversible, the good news is that it is also preventable. To prevent work-related hearing loss, NIOSH recommends that noise exposure over an 8-hour day be under 85 decibels A-weighted (dBA).