Articles Tagged with ''hearing loss''

Many safety managers provide hearing protectors to their noise-exposed workers with the good intention of stopping noise-induced hearing loss.

When it comes to work-related health problems, many people might think about back issues, respiratory issues or hearing loss.

Have you ever gone to a concert or performance and found your ears ringing on the way home? Imagine if that was your job and your ears were exposed regularly to such loud sound levels?

I just don't understand, "I heard the safety manager lament."

A new study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) examines thirty years of hearing loss trends experienced by workers exposed to noise while on the job, across various industries. The study, published by the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, found that while progress has been made in reducing the risk of hearing loss within most industry sectors, additional efforts are needed within the Mining, Construction, and Healthcare and Social Assistance sectors.

Some 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars and sporting events, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in partnership with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2015 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards™, honoring companies that have shown dedication to the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss through excellent hearing loss prevention practices in the work environment.

Noise-related hearing loss has been listed as one of the most prevalent occupational health concerns in the U.S. for more than 25 years. According to the CDC, an estimated 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, and 9 million more are exposed to ototoxic chemicals.

While operating an industrial machine, a worker at MCM Precision Castings Inc. was exposed to noise levels that averaged 97 decibels, equal to the noise of a jackhammer, over his eight-hour shift. Employees of the Weston, Ohio-based company were also exposed to dangerously high noise levels and crystalline silica dust, a cause of chronic lung disease, OSHA has found.

The number of people exposed to significant airport noise in the United States has decreased from 7 million people in 1975 to approximately 309,000 people in 2012, according to  the Federal Aviation Industry (FAA), which cites an initiative to improve aircraft engine and airframe technology to reduce noise, fuel burn, and emissions as one of the factors in the change.