RIOS, A. L. Implantação de um Programa de Conservação Auditiva: enfoque fonoaudiológico. 2007. 133f. Tese (Doutorado) Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 2007. A tecnologia e a modernidade proporcionam, em alguns casos, a ocorrência de doenças ocupacionais e consequentemente a queda na qualidade de vida da classe trabalhadora causada, muitas vezes, pelo aumento dos níveis de ruído nas indústrias. Com isso a Perda Auditiva Induzida por Ruído (PAIR) tem ocupado lugar de destaque entre as doenças ocupacionais. A implantação de um Programa de Conservação Auditiva (PCA) é necessária em locais de trabalho onde os níveis de exposição ao ruído estejam acima dos limites de tolerância. O objetivo do estudo foi propor para a direção de uma empresa a implantação de um Programa de Conservação Auditiva na Divisão de Nutrição e Dietética (DND), área que apresenta nível de pressão sonora elevado, verificando a eficácia do trabalho dos profissionais atualmente envolvidos e enfocando o papel do fonoaudiólogo. Foram analisadas as avaliações auditivas contidas nos prontuários médicos de todos os funcionários da DND realizadas durante o período de dezembro de 2004 (ano base) a março de 2006. Por meio de um questionário, os dados pessoais e referentes à história clínica e ocupacional dos trabalhadores foram colhidos. Paralelamente aos procedimentos já citados, foram realizadas palestras e/ou mini-cursos aos funcionários da Divisão sobre os cuidados com a audição, a necessidade e importância do uso do equipamento de proteção individual, a importância da realização dos exames auditivos, além de esclarecimentos relativos às portarias e normas de saúde ocupacional. Participaram do estudo 174 funcionários da DND com idade variando de 23 a 61 anos (média de 43 anos) e predomínio do gênero feminino (93,68%). No ambiente de produção da DND o ruído variou entre menos de 60dB(A) a 88,7dB(A) e as áreas mais ruidosas respectivamente são: Seção de Preparo e Cocção, Seção de Cozinha e Dietética, Lavagem e Esterilização e Restaurante I. A maioria dos funcionários faz uso do protetor auricular com freqüência e participam das capacitações que a empresa proporciona, porém em 2004, 35,29% apresentaram algum tipo da alteração na acuidade auditiva, sendo que, na sua maioria, a configuração audiométrica é sugestiva de PAIR e quando os exames de 2004 foram comparados com os de 2005, o agravamento da perda auditiva foi de 32%, demonstrando que as medidas de prevenção adotadas estão pouco eficazes. Com esses dados concluímos que a implantação de um programa de conservação auditiva com ações sincronizadas entre os que realizam as atividades preventivas, na empresa se faz urgente. / RIOS, A. L. Implementation of Hearing Conservation Program: focus audiologyst. 2007. 133f. Tese (Doutorado) University of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 2007. The technology and the modernity provide, in some cases, the occurrence of occupational diseases and consequently, a decrease in the health quality of live of the workers, due to increase in the level of noise in the industries. Hence, the Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) plays a critical role among the occupational diseases. The implementation of a Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) is necessary in work places where the levels of noise are above the tolerance limits. The aim of this study was to propose, to the manage department of an enterprise, a Hearing Conservation Program to be applied in the Department of Nutrition and Dietary (DND). This department presents high levels of sound pressure and the HCP implementation had the objective of reaching the work efficiency of the workers involved in this section, focusing on the role of the audiologyst. The hearing tests described on the medical records of all workers of the DND, during the period of 2004 (year-base), december to 2006, march, were analyzed. Personal data related to the clinical and occupational history of the workers were collected using a questionary. Simultaneously to the procedures already mentioned, talks and small courses were implemented involving the workers, about hearing cares and medical examinations, the individual protection equipment importance and health laws and normatization. One hundred seventy four (174) DND workers answered the quiz, with ages varying between 23 and 61 years old (an average of 43 years old) and almost all women (93,68%). In the DND installations, the noise varied between less than 60dB(A) and 88,7dB(A) and the noisiest areas are, respectively: preparing and cooking, kitchen and dietary, washing and sterilization and restaurant I. Usually, all workers use an protector headphone and also attend the technical courses provided by the enterprise. However, in 2004, 32,29% presented some kind of hearing alteration and, mostly, the audiologic configuration is suggestive of NIHL. Besides, when the exams of the year of 2004 were compared to the exams of 2005, it was possible to note an increase of 32% in the hearing losses of the workers, showing that the adopted prevention actions are not efficient. Using these data, one can conclude that to implement a hearing conservation program and synchronized actions among the ones who develop prevention activities is urgent.

Occupational hearing loss resulting from noise exposures encountered in the workplace affects millions of workers and costs hundreds of millions of dollars annually in Workers’ Compensation costs in the United States alone. Some industries have been well studied, and the presence of hazardous noise in the work environment established and documented. The restaurant industry is one in which little current data exists, but in which there may be cause for concern. This work sought to quantify noise exposures for cooks, servers, and dishwashers and to determine whether or not any of these workers are at risk for Noise Induced Hearing Loss. Further, the researchers wanted to know what environmental factors present in the restaurants had the greatest impact on noise exposures for each exposure group. Statistical analysis was conducted on selected factors, and while nearly all were found to have significant effects on noise exposure for servers, only the number of minutes worked explained variance in exposures for cooks and dishwashers when all factors were included in analysis. These two groups are the ones most likely to be overexposed and they typically worked more than 480 minutes on the day the sample was collected. Efforts to control exposure must take these extended shifts into careful account. The study was limited by relatively small sample size, with 124 cooks, 119 servers, and 91 dishwashers employed at nine different restaurants participating. Future efforts to explain and characterize the sources of variation in noise exposure for these three groups should include greater numbers of participants and structure the data in a way that allows the effects of selected factors to be more clearly seen.

Abstract This research on military aviation noise was conducted because the personnel working with military aircraft were concerned about noise induced hearing damage. In addition, comprehensive data on hearing impairments and occupational exposure of military pilots in the Finnish Air Force was not available. Moreover, data on the effects of overflight noise of military jets was necessary for the evaluation of noise induced hearing deteriorations of members of the public who might be exposured accidentally for the low-level jets' overflights. The averaged noise exposure levels of pilots varied during a flight from 97 dB(A) to 106 dB(A) in the cockpit and from 83 dB(A) to 100 dB(A) at the entrance of the ear canal. Radio noise was 4–10 dB higher than background noise inside the helmet. The attenuation provided by air crew helmets varied from10 to 21 dB(A) in the laboratory, and was at the same level during real flights. The attenuation measured in the laboratory and in working conditions was about 30 dB(A) for earmuffs. An active noise cancellation (ANC) device decreased averaged noise exposure (LAeq8min) 4–8 dB over the noise attenuation of the same helmets when the ANC system was off. The noise of overflights by military jets were measured and the noise levels were lower than those known to cause the permanent threshold shifts. However, noise induced hearing damages might be possible in certain conditions. In order to assess the hearing loss risk of pilots, hearing thresholds were measured before and after one flight using both conventional and extended high frequency (EHF) audiometry. Minor temporary threshold shifts (TTS) were revealed. The risk of noise-induced damage at the studied exposure levels is, in all probability, rather small. A novel NoiseScan data management system proved to be an interesting tool in assessment of the risk of developing hearing impairment on the basis of known risk factors. Due to the small number of risk factors, the hearing of pilots was shown to be at considerably less risk than that of industrial workers in Finland.

Despite the preventability of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) a high prevalence is still reported in South African mines. The study aimed to describe the hearing of gold miners pertaining to the prevalence and degree of NIHL and effectiveness of current RSA impairment criteria to identify NIHL. The audiological data, collected between 2001 and 2008, of 57 714 mine workers were investigated in this retrospective cohort study. Data was accessed through the mine’s electronic database and exported to Microsoft Excel 2007 worksheets. Participants were categorised in terms of noise exposure (level and working years), age, race and gender. Noise exposure levels were described in terms of a specific occupation and categorized into four groups based on dosimeter data received from the mine’s noise hygienist, namely: 1) Below surface (underground) noise exposure, ≥85 dB A, classified according to the South African regulations on the daily permissible dose of noise exposure8, named Noise Group 1; 2) Surface noise exposure, ≥85 dB A, named Noise Group 2; 3) No known occupational noise exposure, named control group; and 4) Uncertain levels of noise exposure, e.g. students and trainees, named Noise Group 4. The control group was matched with participants of noise group 1 and 2 based on gender, race and age at the most recent audiogram test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Measures of central tendency and variability were used with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and pairwise comparisons according to Fisher’s Least Squares Differences Approach (F test). Results indicated that noise exposed groups had significantly higher prevalence of high and low frequency hearing loss than the control group. High-frequency hearing loss was also present in the control group. The greatest differences in prevalence of hearing loss were observed at 3, 4 kHz and age group 36 to 45 years. Thresholds at 8 kHz were worse than expected and decline slowed down with age. High-frequency thresholds showed a non-linear growth pattern with age with a greater decline at 2 kHz with age in the noise-exposed population compared to the control group. Hearing deteriorated more across age groups with more noise-exposed years, and this deterioration was most visible after 10 to 15 working years and at 3 kHz. Females had better hearing than males across the frequency spectrum. Black males had significantly better high-frequency hearing than white males but significantly worse low-frequency hearing than white male counterparts. PLH values showed poor correlation (through statistical analyses) with other well-accepted hearing impairment criteria. To date this was the largest study conducted on the hearing of gold miners and the sample included a very large number of black males exposed to occupational noise (N=17 933). Values supplied in distribution table format are therefore unique and contribute greatly to the knowledge base. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted

Despite our understanding of the impact of noise-induced damage to the auditory system, much less is known about the impact of noise exposure on the vestibular system. In this article, we review the anatomical, physiological, and functional evidence for noise-induced damage to peripheral and central vestibular structures. Morphological studies in several animal models have demonstrated cellular damage throughout the peripheral vestibular system and particularly in the otolith organs; however, there is a paucity of data on the effect of noise exposure on human vestibular end organs. Physiological studies have corroborated morphological studies by demonstrating disruption across vestibular pathways with otolith-mediated pathways impacted more than semicircular canal-mediated pathways. Similar to the temporary threshold shifts observed in the auditory system, physiological studies in animals have suggested a capacity for recovery following noise-induced vestibular damage. Human studies have demonstrated that diminished sacculo-collic responses are related to the severity of noise-induced hearing loss, and dose-dependent vestibular deficits following noise exposure have been corroborated in animal models. Further work is needed to better understand the physiological and functional consequences of noise-induced vestibular impairment in animals and humans.

<p>  </p> <p>Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a significant occupational health concern in the construction industry, necessitating effective hearing protection for workers. This project explores the detrimental consequences of environmental pollutants, specifically noise pollution common in construction settings. The research incorporates user interviews with construction workers and managers to identify challenges and motivations surrounding the use of hearing protection devices.</p> <p>My findings underscore the necessity of addressing pollution in the construction industry to safeguard the well-being of workers. Noise pollution emerges as a primary concern, leading to hearing loss, stress, decreased productivity, and safety hazards. The research revealed that workers grapple with obstacles, including discomfort, lack of awareness, and cost barriers, while also recognizing driving forces, including fear of hearing loss and the encouragement of supervisors. The design process involved thorough research, including a literature review, competitive analysis, and semi-structured user interviews, resulting in an advanced hearing protection device that prioritizes effective communication, cleanliness, and user comfort. The final product incorporates innovative features such as lighting indicators, a compact charging case, strategically positioned buttons, secure fit with magnets, and a range of color options. Furthermore, the accompanying application features customizable ambient sounds, performance feedback, and gamification elements.</p>

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