Factors affecting the use of hearing protectors among classical music players

Classical musicians are often exposed to sound levels that exceed the Finnish national action limit value of 85 dB(A). Still, the use of hearing protectors is uncommon among musicians. The purpose of this study was to find out musician's attitudes towards hearing protectors, and under which conditions hearing protectors are used. The study group consisted of five major classical orchestras in the Helsinki region. The players were asked to fill out a questionnaire with questions on hearing protection, ear symptoms, including tinnitus, hearing loss, pain in the ears, and temporary ringing in the ears. Also, questions concerning stress and working environments were asked. Of those who responded, 94% were concerned about their hearing to some degree. Only 6% of the musicians always used hearing protector devices (HPDs). Self-reported hearing loss was quite common, with 31% of the musicians reporting some hearing loss. Temporary tinnitus was even more common at 37%. There were 15% of women, and 18% of men reporting permanent tinnitus. Hyper-acousis was reported by 43% of the musicians. The ear symptoms affected the usage rate. Hearing protectors were used more often among musicians having ear symptoms (20%) than those reporting no symptoms (6%). Further, the 43% of the musicians found their work to be interesting and meaningful. Stress was experienced to some extent by 60%, and musicians with ear symptoms had three to nine times more stress and felt their working environment noisier. The study shows that musicians seldom use hearing protectors before symptoms begin. Symptoms increased usage rate, but the usage levels are still far from ideal. Motivation and training is needed to improve hearing protector use among musicians.     

听力保护计划在金属制品行业的实施和效果评估

目的 评估听力保护计划在金属制品行业的实施效果。
方法 选取28家金属制品企业推行听力保护计划, 内容包括噪声监测、听力测试、噪声控制、护听器使用和职工培训等五方面。
结果 听力保护计划实施2年后, 企业在噪声工程防护、工人护听器使用和工人培训教育方面均较计划实施前有改善, 作业场所噪声监测合格率有逐年上升趋势(P < 0.05)。实施听力保护计划2年后, 新上岗工人暂未出现高频标准听阈位移(HSTS), 已在岗接噪作业工人发生HSTS的共有6人, 占在岗工人总数2.27%。
结论 听力保护计划是一项综合的噪声防治策略, 能有效地防止职业性噪声聋的发生, 而管理者的重视和措施的落实是计划有效实施的保证。
     

The influence of socio-economic status on adolescent attitude to social noise and hearing protection

The focus of the present study, of 1285 adolescents, was young people's attitudes towards noise and their use of hearing protection at discos and pop concerts. Comparisons were made between adolescents from different age groups, and with different socio-economic status. Logistic regressions indicated that "worry before attending noisy activities" and "hearing symptoms" such as tinnitus and noise sensitivity could, to some degree, explain the use of hearing protection in noisy environments. Another conclusion to be drawn from this study was that adolescents' attitudes and behaviours regarding hearing protection use differed between levels of socio-economic status. Individuals with high SES expressed more negative attitudes and used ear protection to a greater extent than those with lower SES. This result might indicate differences in the development of future auditory problems among individuals with different levels of socio-economic status. The cause of hearing impairment and tinnitus may not be restricted merely to noise exposure. Psychological aspects, such as attitudes towards noisy environments and the individual's behaviour regarding the use of hearing protection may be considered as important factors in the understanding of why the prevalence of hearing related problems has increased among adolescents.     

Assessment of noise exposure for indoor and outdoor firing ranges

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received an employee request for a health hazard evaluation of a Special Weapons Assault Team (SWAT) in January 2002. The department was concerned about noise exposures and potential hearing damage from weapons training on their indoor and outdoor firing ranges. NIOSH investigators conducted noise sampling with an acoustic mannequin head and 1/4 -inch microphone to characterize the noise exposures that officers might experience during small arms qualification and training when wearing a variety of hearing protection devices provided by the department. The peak sound pressure levels for the various weapons ranged from 156 to 170 decibels (dB SPL), which are greater than the recommended allowable 140 dB SPL exposure guideline from NIOSH. The earplugs, ear muffs, and customized SWAT team hearing protectors provided between 25 and 35 dB of peak reduction. Double hearing protection (plugs plus muffs) added 15-20 dB of peak reduction.     

某己内酰胺合成企业噪声暴露致听力损失的风险评估

  目的  对南京市某己内酰胺合成企业生产性噪声进行暴露风险评估和听力损失风险分级,提出噪声职业病危害风险管理措施。
  方法  测量作业人员个体噪声接触水平,依据GBZ/T 229.4—2012《工作场所职业病危害作业分级第4部分:噪声》评估噪声作业等级;运用ISO 1999:2013方法,计算各岗位听阈级变化、听力损失风险,并依据AQ/T 4276—2016《噪声职业病危害风险管理指南》进行风险分级。
  结果  25人噪声检测结果超过80 dB（A）,为噪声作业岗位。硫铵装置、磷酸羟胺法（hyam-phoshate oximation,HPO）老线、HPO新线、己内酰胺（caprolactam,CPL）老线外操工岗位噪声危害作业分级为Ⅰ级,轻度危害;各噪声岗位员工工作到50、60岁时发生高频听力损失风险概率均低于6%,属于可接受的风险。3种护听器正常使用下能够满足噪声的防护要求。
  结论  对生产性噪声职业接触情况及时进行调查与风险评估,根据风险评估结果正确使用护听器,能够有效预防听力损失。
     

Noise sensitivity and hearing disability

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of noise sensitivity with self-reported hearing disability and hearing levels, with consideration of the role of self-reported history of noise exposure and use of hearing protectors. The study is based on the Finnish Twin Cohort. In 1988, a noise questionnaire was sent to 1005 twin pairs, 1495 individuals (688 men, 807 women) replied. The age range was 31-88 years. Information on some potential confounders was obtained from the questionnaire in 1981 for the same individuals. A subsample of thirty-eight elderly women with noise sensitivity response from 1988 had audiometry data from 2000 to 2001. Noise sensitivity was associated with self-reported hearing disability among all subjects [odds ratio (OR) 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-2.12] and among women (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.19-3.04), but no-more significantly among men (OR 1.31, 95% CI 0.86-1.98). The association was primarily seen among younger subjects (50 years or less). The difference between noise sensitive and non-noise sensitive elderly women in the average of thresholds at frequencies of 0.5-4 kHz in the better ear was not significant (Pr = 0.18). Noise sensitivity did not modify the association of hearing disability with the self-reported history of occupational noise exposure. Noise sensitivity was associated with the use of hearing protectors at work. The study shows the importance of recognizing the noise sensitive in noise effect studies, since sensitivity in annoyance has implications in most of the effect categories.     

江阴市某两家轧钢企业接触噪声作业人员听力防护调查

目的通过了解企业噪声作业人员护听器使用情况,为制定干预对策及保护作业者身体健康提供科学依据。方法以江阴市噪声危害严重的轧钢企业为研究对象,分析作业人员职业暴露特点、检测工作环境中的噪声强度并进行频谱分析,并通过问卷和现场调查获得劳动者护听器使用及噪声防护的认知情况。结果环境作业点（117个）噪声强度检测合格率为49．6％,主要岗位噪声暴露强度为67．1—96．3dB（A）。接触噪声8h等效声级（￡k。。）≥85dB（A）的有346人,其高频损失和语频损失总检出率为31．2％。全程佩戴护听器的人员为72．5％,参加噪声危害教育的占92．8％,了解噪声危害的占80．3％,正确使用防护用品的占65．0％。结论必须严格落实《工业企业职工听力保护规范》的实施,对职工进行听力防护知识重点培训,减少职业病的发生。     

Hearing impairment among workers exposed to excessive levels of noise in ginning industries

Cotton ginning workers have a risk of hearing loss due to excessive noise levels at the workplace environment. In this study, estimates of typical sound levels prevailing at the workplace environment and its effects on hearing ability of the exposed workers were made among cotton ginning workers. Data on self-reported health status was collected by a questionnaire survey at 10 cotton ginning industries located at Jalgaon district of Maharashtra state, India. The cotton ginning workers were exposed to continuous noise levels between 89 and 106 dBA. The hearing ability of the subjects was accessed by pure tone audiometry. The results of audiometry show mild, moderate and moderately severe degree of hearing impairment among the cotton ginning workers. The data generated during the study show that hearing loss was significantly associated with period of exposure to the workplace noise (P <0.0001). The prevalence of audiometric hearing impairment defined as a threshold average greater than 25 dB hearing level was 96% for binaural low-frequency average, 97% for binaural mid frequency average and 94% for binaural high-frequency average in the cotton ginning workers. We recommend the compulsory use of personal protective equipment like ear plug by the cotton ginning workers at the workplace environment. A regular maintenance of ginning and pressing machineries will avoid the emission of excessive noise at the workplace environment of cotton gins. A regular periodic medical examination is necessary to measure the impact of workplace noise on the health of cotton ginning workers.     

Investigation of sound level conversion as a means of rating ear protector performance.

Sound level conversion, a single-number measure describing the noise reduction afforded by ear protectors, was calculated for 30 ear protectors in 615 industrial noise spectra. The results vindicate the utility of this measure for situations in which the noise hazard is characterised only by C- and A-weighted sound levels. A simple procedure for calculating SLC, accurate within +/- 1dB, is proposed. Minor adjustments of the calculation procedure enable wearer protection rates in the range 50% to 97% to be achieved.     

A qualitative assessment of the performance of electronic, level-dependent earmuffs when used on firing ranges

A qualitative workplace trial was undertaken to examine the performance of sound restoration, level-dependent electronic hearing protectors (HPs) in a high impulsive noise environment using participants who were very experienced in the regular use of passive HPs. The results indicate that this type of HP is well accepted by experienced users, particularly so, by those who appreciate reliable communication while wearing the devices.     

Relationship between comfort and attenuation measurements for two types of earplugs

Noise-induced hearing loss is almost always preventable if properly fitted hearing protectors are worn to reduce exposure. Many individuals choose not to wear hearing protection because it may interfere with effective communication in the workplace or it may be uncomfortable. Hearing protector comfort has not received the same amount of attention as noise reduction capability. The present study was conducted to evaluate the comfort level of two different types of insert earplugs as well as the attenuation levels achieved by the earplugs. Attenuation levels were obtained with a commercially available earplug fit-test system, and the comfort ratings were obtained by questionnaire. The primary research objective was to determine whether hearing protector comfort was related to measured attenuation values. A linear mixed effects model provided evidence for an inverse relationship between comfort and attenuation.     

瓶装饮料制造企业工人噪声暴露及高频听力损失关系分析

目的 调查珠三角某市瓶装饮料制造企业生产线工人噪声暴露情况，分析高频听力损失的影响因素。方法 选择该市7家瓶装饮料制造企业中接噪工龄≥1年的569名工人为研究对象，调查工人的噪声暴露情况、累积噪声暴露量（cumulative noise exposure,CNE）和高频听力损失（high-frequency hearing loss,HFHL）检出情况，用二元logistic回归模型分析不同个体特征和职业特征对接噪工人HFHL的影响。结果 该市瓶装饮料制造企业生产线噪声声级为72.3～96.7 dB(A),38.49%岗位噪声水平超过国家职业卫生标准限值，工人HFHL双耳高频听力损失为109人，检出率为19.16%，高频听力损失组工人（n=109）的接噪声级、CNE、接噪工龄、年龄均高于听力正常组（n=460）(P <0.01)。存在噪声危害的岗位主要有包装岗位、灌装岗位、配料投料岗位、吹瓶岗位，灌装岗位、吹瓶岗位工人的接噪声级、累积噪声暴露量（CNE）均高于其他岗位工人（P <0.05）。logistic回归分析结果显示：年龄每增加1岁、CNE每增加1 dB(A)·年，工...     

Attitudes toward noise,perceived hearing symptoms,and reported use of hearing protection among college students: Influence of youth culture

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitude toward noise, perceived hearing symptoms, noisy activities that were participated in, and factors associated with hearing protection use among college students. A 44-item online survey was completed by 2,151 college students (aged 17 years and above) to assess the attitudes toward noise, perceived hearing symptoms related to noise exposure, and use of hearing protection around noisy activities. Among the participants, 39.6% experienced at least one hearing symptom, with ear pain as the most frequently reported (22.5%). About 80% of the participants were involved in at least one noise activity, out of which 41% reported the use of hearing protection. A large majority of those with ear pain, hearing loss, permanent tinnitus, and noise sensitivity was involved in attending a sporting event, which was the most reported noisy activity. The highest reported hearing protection use was in the use of firearms, and the lowest in discos/ dances. The reported use of hearing protection is associated with having at least one hearing symptom but the relationship is stronger with tinnitus, hearing loss, and ear pain (χ² = 30.5-43.5, P < 0.01) as compared to noise sensitivity (χ² = 3.8, P = 0.03); it is also associated with anti-noise attitudes, particularly in youth social events. Universities and colleges have important roles in protecting young adults’ hearing by integrating hearing conservation topic in the college curriculum, promoting hearing health by student health services, involving student groups in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) awareness and prevention, and establishing noise level limitations for all on-campus events.     

某天然气电厂噪声危害现况调查分析

目的调查某天然气电厂现场噪声和生产岗位个体噪声的分布,分析天然气电厂的噪声危害关键控制点和岗位,为天然气电厂的噪声危害防护提供依据。方法采用现场职业卫生学调查、现场检测和护耳器评价相结合的方法进行分析。结果该企业工作场所噪声强度为61.9～106.4 dB(A),其中≥85 dB(A)的检测点数占59.22%;主要接噪岗位40 h/w的等效声级为66.4～91.4 dB(A),合格率为77.78%。LNG电厂的噪声危害关键控制场所集中在主厂房系统、化学水系统和辅助系统,噪声危害关键控制岗位是运行分部和机务分部巡检工。结论LNG电厂的噪声危害突出,需要通过噪声危害关键控制场所的隔声降噪工程控制措施、加强噪声危害关键控制岗位的个体防护和职业卫生管理措施来防控该行业的噪声危害。     

Hearing protection devices: Use at work predicts use at play

Use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) at work is widespread and well researched, but less is known about HPD use in high-noise leisure activities. We investigated HPD use of 8,144 Australians in leisure settings. An online survey asked questions about HPD use at work and leisure and examined whether age, gender, HPD use at work, and tinnitus predicted HPD use in leisure activities. Leisure-based HPD use was most common during high-risk work-related activities. Use of HPDs at work was the most significant predictor of leisure-based use, with workplace users up to 5 times more likely to use HPDs at leisure. Men were significantly more likely than women to use HPDs in 10/20 leisure activities, and those with tinnitus were more likely than those without to use HPDs in 8/20 activities. Older participants were more likely to use HPDs at nightclubs and concerts, but younger participants were more likely to use HPDs playing e-games and musical instruments.     

The effectiveness of hearing protection among construction workers

Effective hearing conservation programs in the construction industry are rare. Where programs are present, they often rely on workers' use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) rather than on exposure controls to reduce noise exposure levels. Dependence on HPDs for protection from high noise is problematic, as the protection provided by the HPD depends on both the HPD's attenuation level and the time the HPD is used. This article presents an analysis of data on noise exposure and hearing protection among construction workers drawn from several large datasets covering nine construction trades. A unique combination of 1-min dosimetry noise exposure levels and simultaneous self-reported use of HPDs was evaluated, as were occupational and nonoccupational HPD use data collected by questionnaire as part of a longitudinal study of noise exposure and hearing loss among apprentices. Direct measurements of HPD attenuation were also made on workers at their work site. The workers assessed in this study were found to use hearing protection less than one-quarter of the time that they were exposed above 85 dBA. Workers who reported always using HPDs in high noise on questionnaires were found to wear them only one-third of the time their exposures exceeded 85 dBA. Workers' self-reported use of HPDs during most noisy nonoccupational activities was also found to be low. Direct attenuation measurements found that workers were able to achieve more than 50% of the rated attenuation of their HPD on average, but that the variability in achieved attenuation was large. When the measured HPD attenuation levels and use time data were combined, the effective protection afforded by HPDs was less than 3 dB, a negligible amount given the high exposure levels associated with construction work. However, there was substantial variation in effective protection among the different trades assessed. These results demonstrate the need for better hearing conservation programs and expanded noise control efforts in the construction industry.     

Instruction and the improvement of hearing protector performance

Too often, in spite of the encouragement of those who advocate the removal of noise from the workplace as the preferred solution to noise exposure, hearing protectors are provided as the first line of defence against noise. Unfortunately hearing protectors are too often supplied with no real instruction or education in their use. This degrades their performance considerably. In this project the attenuation performance of one particular model of earplug was compared with and without instructions to test subjects. The instructions given were the most basic as commonly supplied on the plastic packaging containing the plugs. The attenuation performance (SLC80) of the plugs with the instructions was 16 dB greater than without the instructions. Overall performance was improved in every octave band with smaller associated standard deviations. The comparison showed that even with a very modest amount of instruction attenuation performance can be significantly improved.     

Noise exposure, awareness, attitudes and use of hearing protection in a steel rolling mill in Nigeria

OBJECTIVES: To study exposure to noise, the attitudes and knowledge towards noise-induced hearing loss and the actual use of hearing protection in a steel rolling mill in Nigeria. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was administered to 116 randomly selected workers to collect information relating to their knowledge and attitudes towards hazardous occupational noise and preventative measures. Noise mapping of the factory was also carried out. RESULTS: Time weighted average noise levels were: administrative area 49 dBA, mechanic/maintenance workshop 72 dBA, mill floor 86 dBA and finishing stage 93 dBA. There was high awareness of the hazard of noise to hearing (93%) and of methods of prevention (92%) but only 27% possessed hearing protectors and only 28% of these stated that they used them all the time. CONCLUSION: While noise is recognized as a hazard, initiatives are required to increase use of effective preventative measures.     

某橡胶制造企业噪声危害现况分析

目的调查某橡胶制造企业现场噪声和作业岗位个体噪声的分布和危害情况,分析噪声危害重点岗位和关键控制点,为橡胶制造企业的噪声危害治理和防控提供依据。方法采用现场职业卫生学调查、现场检测和听力防护用品评价相结合的方法进行分析。结果该企业工作场所噪声强度为72.7~100.8 d B（A）,其中≥85 d B（A）的检测点数占43.30%;主要接噪岗位8 h等效声级为81.7~91.0 d B（A）,合格率为44.44%。橡胶制造企业的噪声危害关键控制场所集中在密炼车间和压延车间,噪声危害关键控制岗位是炼胶工。结论橡胶制造企业的噪声危害突出,需采取隔声、吸声或消声等工程控制措施、加强噪声岗位的个体防护措施,建立良好的监督管理体制来防控该行业的噪声危害。