Journal List > Hanyang Med Rev > v.30(4) > 1044067

Lee: Occupational Diseases of Noise Exposed Workers

Abstract

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common occupational disease, which carries not only an enormous cost in workers' compensation but also a even greater social cost due to loss of productivity and damage to quality of life. However, the unquestionable impact of occupational noise, NIHL is sometimes underestimated by the majority of workers because of its largely slow and insidious nature. High levels of occupational noise produce stress reactions, disturbances in communication, task performance, as well as development of hypertension, cognitive defects. Approximately 89% of the total disease burden (incidence of disability-adjusted life years, DALYs) is in 15-59 years age group and more than four millon DALYs were lost to NIHL. NIHL is incurable and irreversible at present. However, it is preventable, and it is necessary that preventive programmes be implemented. Within hazard prevention and control program should be involve following elements: 1) the work process: install quieter equipment, promote good maintenance; 2) the workplace: use noise enclosures of acoustic equipment; 3) the workers: set up work practices and other administrative controls on noise exposure, and provide audiometric test and hearing production, and workers' education programmes; and 4) child and adolescence: prevent healthy hearing from over exposure of environmental noise (eg. noisy toy, MP3, discotheque).

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Prevalence of noise induced hearing loss and compensated workers from 1991 to 2007
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Table 1
Proportion of Workers in Each Occupational Category and Economic Subsector Exposed to Noise Levels >85 dB(A)*
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*Source: NIOSH (1998).

Figures shown in normal typeface are derived by expert judgement. Figures in italics are derived by extrapolation from the most relevant subsector in the production worker survey. Figures in bold indicate direct measurements.

Based on a figure of 1.5% for the proportion of "business services" workers exposed to noise.

Table 2
Relative Risks for Hearing Loss by Sex, Age Group and Level of Occupational Exposure
hmr-30-326-i002

Source: adapted from WHO (2004)

Table 3
Proportions of the Working-age Population Occupationally Exposed to Different Noise Levels, by Sex in South-East Asia Region
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Source: adapted from WHO (2003)

Table 4
Assessment of Reported Responses to Occupational Noise Dxposurea
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aSource: adapted from HCN (1999) and de Hollander et al. (2004)

bEvidence describes the strength of evidence for a causal relationship between noise exposure and the specified health endpoint.

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