New Study Reveals that 1 in 8 Workers Has a Hearing Loss

1 in 8 American workers has a hearing loss, new study finds

 

In April of last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study which turned a spotlight on hearing loss in the workplace. After compiling data, CDC researchers found that 1 in 8 workers in the U.S., almost 13% of the entire workforce, is suffering from some kind of hearing damage. The most common work-related health problem in the U.S., hearing loss is a serious concern that can affect many areas of life–including one’s ability to keep up, and stay safe, in a hectic work environment. The startling findings were published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

 

About the study 
In the study, researchers compiled data from more than 1.4 million audiograms from the Occupational Hearing Loss Surveillance Project, which was carried out by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NOISH). The audiograms were from workers who were exposed to noise in the workplace over the course of nine years, from 2003 to 2012. Construction, mining and manufacturing were all found to be heavily damaging to the ears, with mining being the most hazardous.

The study also revealed that hearing loss increased with age, and that men were more susceptible to hearing loss than women. On average, 2.53 healthy years were lost per 1,000 workers exposed to occupational noise every year.

 

Occupational hearing loss: a brief overview

  • Noise-related hearing loss affects 10 million Americans each year; worldwide, 16% of the disabling hearing loss in adults is attributed to occupational noise.
  • Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to dangerous noise levels at work each year. American businesses spent over $1.5 million on penalties for not properly protecting workers ears last year alone.
  • The mining industry had the highest rate of job-related hearing damage, with 17% of workers affected. In construction 16% of workers have a hearing loss; in manufacturing, 14%.
  • About $242 million is paid in workers’ compensation each year for hearing loss disability.
  • There are countless cases of unreported hearing damage, as many workers already have measurable hearing loss, but the loss has not yet reached OSHA-recordable levels.

 

At what point does noise become hazardous?

In terms of damaging sound levels, some work environments are clearly more dangerous than others. But everyone should have a sense of when noise might be getting too loud, and when ear protection is necessary. Working in a bar or any environment with loud music can prove damaging to the ears as well, if proper precautions are not taken.

Studies show that individuals’ ears respond to noise differently, so a decibel level that causes damage to one person’s hearing might not have the same effect on their coworker. For a working day, 85 decibels is generally considered an acceptable level of noise exposure. However, some people may be susceptible to hearing damage at that level, or even lower decibel levels, though the chance is low. The risk of hearing damage increases as decibel levels reach greater intensities, and sudden noise exposures of levels greater than 140 decibels are thought to be capable of causing immediate damage. As a frame of reference, normal conversation is about 60 dB, a lawn mower is about 90 dB, and a loud rock concert is about 120 dB.

 

A preventable problem
“Occupational hearing loss is a permanent but entirely preventable condition with today’s hearing loss prevention strategies and technology,” the authors of the report noted. “Concurrent with prevention efforts, early detection of hearing loss by consistent annual audiometric testing, and intervention to preclude further loss are critical.”

Though it is the responsibility of employers to make sure workplaces are up to code and that workers’ ears are not being damaged, employees should also be proactive in making sure their hearing is protected. The first step is always wearing your company-provided ear protection; if your company doesn’t provide any, but you feel your workplace is too noisy, consider investing in a pair of custom-fitted earplugs to make sure your ears stay safe. You should also watch out for these warning signs that your work environment may be too loud:

  • You often hear ringing or humming in your ears after work.
  • You must shout to be heard by a coworker at an arm’s length away.
  • You have difficulty hearing when leaving work.

If you are concerned about your hearing due to on-the-job noise, contact us at Desert Valley Audiology today. We provide hearing tests to monitor your hearing abilities, and we offer many solutions for hearing protection and hearing loss.