Patterns and trends in OSHA occupational noise exposure measurements from 1979 to 2013

2018 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K Sayler ◽  
Benjamin J Roberts ◽  
Michael A Manning ◽  
Kan Sun ◽  
Richard L Neitzel
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Occupational Noise ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Noise Measurements ◽  
Over Time

ObjectivesNoise is one of the most common exposures, and occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is highly prevalent. In addition to NIHL, noise is linked to numerous non-auditory health effects. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) database of compliance-related measurements performed in various industries across the USA. The goal of the current study was to describe and analyse personal noise measurements available through the OSHA IMIS, identifying industries with elevated personal noise levels or increasing trends in worker exposure over time.MethodsThrough a Freedom of Information Act request, we obtained OSHA’s noise measurements collected and stored in IMIS between 1979 and 2013 and analysed permissible exposure limit (PEL) and action level (AL) criteria measurements by two-digit industry code.ResultsThe manufacturing industry represented 87.8% of the 93 920 PEL measurements and 84.6% of the 58 073 AL measurements. The highest mean noise levels were found among the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry for PEL (93.1 dBA) and the mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction group for AL (93.3 dBA). Overall, measurements generally showed a decreasing trend in noise levels and exceedances of AL and PEL by year, although this was not true for all industries.ConclusionsOur results suggest that, despite reductions in noise over time, further noise control interventions are warranted both inside and outside of the manufacturing industry. Further reductions in occupational noise exposures across many industries are necessary to continue to reduce the risk of occupational NIHL.

scholarly journals Case Study in a Working Environment Highlighting the Divergence between Sound Level and Workers’ Perception towards Noise

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6122
Author(s):  
Chun-Yip Hon ◽  
Illia Tchernikov ◽  
Craig Fairclough ◽  
Alberto Behar
Keyword(s):  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Hearing Conservation ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions ◽  
Noise Measurements ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Excessive Noise

Excessive noise levels are a prevalent issue in food processing operations and, although there have been numerous studies on occupational noise, no single study has used a concurrent mixed-methods approach. Employing this study design allows for an understanding of the level of convergence (similarity) between measured noise levels and workers’ attitudes and perceptions towards noise. This, in turn, allows for the identification of potential challenges with respect to the implementation of hearing conservation efforts. In this study, spot noise measurements were collected using a sound level meter. One-on-one interviews were conducted with workers to determine attitudes and perceptions towards noise in their workplaces. Subsequently, the results of the noise measurements (quantitative data) were integrated with the survey responses (qualitative data) to identify convergence. The majority of the noise measurements were found to exceed 85 dBA—the criterion mandated by the local occupational health and safety legislation. Although all study participants felt that it was noisy in the workplace, a large proportion of respondents indicated that the noise was not bothersome. With workers’ perception being contradictory to the measured noise levels, it is a challenge to implement hearing conservation measures unless changes are made to raise the awareness of the risks associated with excessive noise exposure.

scholarly journals FMA (Noise) 1989 to OSHA (Noise) 2019 – Is it Worth the Wait?

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ailin Razali
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Occupational Noise ◽  
Occupational Noise Exposure ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Health Practitioners

Occupational health practitioners in our country were heartened following the gazettement of the new regulation with regard to occupational noise exposure in alignment with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA 1994) by the Attorney General’s Chamber in early June this year.

scholarly journals O1B.4 Health effects of prenatal occupational noise exposure: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A5.3-A6
Author(s):  
Zara Ann Stokholm ◽  
Inge Brosbøl Iversen ◽  
Henrik Kolstad
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Congenital Malformations ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Occupational Noise ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Occupational Noise Exposure ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Exposure Levels

Current legislation and threshold limits for occupational noise exposure may not sufficiently account for higher vulnerability of the foetus. We conducted a systematic literature review and identified 20 relevant studies of prenatal noise exposure levels and health. Maternal tissues attenuate industrial noise by about 30 dB. The foetus responds the earliest to noise exposure from the 19th week of gestational age. There is some evidence of an increased risk of hearing loss at prenatal noise levels≥85 dBA (8 hour average) and little evidence at lower levels. Increased risks for preterm birth, small-for-gestational-age and congenital malformations are seen as single study findings at levels≥90 dBA. There is little evidence for how noise exposure may increase the risk of extra-auditive effects in the foetus. Methodological shortcomings and the scarce number of studies limit the conclusions that can be drawn. Still, we recommend pregnant women avoid working at noise levels≥85 dBA.

Noise in Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery Operating Rooms

2020 ◽  
pp. 194589242097652
Author(s):  
Marc Levin ◽  
Kelvin Zhou ◽  
Ethan C. Sommer ◽  
Hitansh Purohit ◽  
Jeffery Wells ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skull Base ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Skull Base Surgery ◽  
Noise Measurement ◽  
Scrub Nurse ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Noise Measurements ◽  
Or Team

Background Noise in the operating room (OR) contributes to miscommunication among team members and may negatively impact patient outcomes. Objectives This study aimed to quantify noise levels during endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery. The secondary aim was to understand how OR team members perceive noise during endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery. Methods Noise levels were measured using the validated phone application SoundMeter X 10.0.4 (r1865) (Faber Acoustical, Utah, USA) at the ear-level of the surgeon, scrub nurse, circulating nurse, and anesthesiologist. At the end of each surgery, OR team members were asked to complete a six-question questionnaire about noise during that surgery. Results One thousand four hundred and two noise measurements were recorded across 353 trials. The loudest mean noise measurement was 84.51 dB and maximum noise measurement was 96.21 dB at the ear-level of the surgeon. Noise was significantly higher at the ear-level of the surgeon and scrub nurse in comparison to the circulating nurse (p = .000) and anesthesiologist (p = .000). Forty percent of questionnaire respondents believed noise was a problem and 38% stated that noise caused communication issues during surgery. Conclusion Surgeons and scrub nurses have significantly higher noise exposure in comparison to circulating nurses and anesthesiologists during endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery. For these members of the OR team, noise is also identified as problematic and causing issues with communication. Mechanisms to reduce potential noise may be implemented to improve communication and patient outcomes in endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery.

Assessment of the Noise Levels inside a Machine Shop for Occupational Safety

2016 ◽  
Vol 841 ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Adina Cristina Toma ◽  
Ioana Luminita Dragasanu ◽  
Marius Deaconu ◽  
Dragos Mihai
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Machine Shop ◽  
Industry Sector ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Concert Halls

Commonly, millions of employees are exposed to occupational health issues, including noise exposure during working hours. Noise is most encountered in industry sector but can also be found in a wide range of other workplaces (airports, concert halls, offices, etc). In this article, we review the noise levels inside a machine shop, for a single working place, with the scope to assess the occupational safety, discuss research approach in identifying the noise issues, control and reduce it. Generally, noise exposure is an expensive issue, with many particularities to be solved and the exact cost is difficult to calculate. This study offers the perspective of what can be done for similar working places and how to perform this in order to protect the employees to be noise exposed above the legal noise limits and relevant conclusions are offered in this direction.

scholarly journals Occupational noise exposure and its association with incident hyperglycemia: a retrospective cohort study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ta-Yuan Chang ◽  
Tzu-Yi Yu ◽  
Chiu-Shong Liu ◽  
Li-Hao Young ◽  
Bo-Ying Bao
Keyword(s):  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Fasting Blood Glucose ◽  
Frequency Component ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Occupational Noise ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Frequency Components ◽  
Low Exposure

Abstract Background: Epidemiological studies have demonstrated the association between noise exposure and diabetes, but few studies have reported the relationship between noise frequency components and fasting blood glucose. This study investigated the associations between noise levels, frequency characteristics, and the incident hyperglycemia. Methods: An industry-based cohort of 905 volunteers was enrolled and followed-up from the data of first employment to 2012. Personal noise levels and octave-band frequencies of environmental noise were measured systematically in 2012 to classify subjects’ exposure retrospectively. Cox regression models were applied to calculate the relative risk (RR) of hyperglycemia by continuous and categorical noise-exposure and frequency-component levels, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Subjects exposed to ≥80 A-weighted decibels (dBA) had an increased RR for hyperglycemia of 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11, 2.84) compared with those exposed to <70 dBA. The high-exposure groups at frequencies of 31.5 (≥33 decibel [dB]), 63 (≥44 dB), 125 (≥52 dB), 250 (≥59 dB), 500 (≥65 dB), 1000 (≥68 dB), and 2000 (≥68 dB) Hz had a significantly higher risk of hyperglycemia (all p values < 0.05) than did the low-exposure groups, and those exposed at 31.5 Hz had the highest risk (Adjusted RR=1.97, 95% CI: 1.23, 3.16). Per 5-dB increase in noise frequencies at 31.5, 63, 125, 250, 500 Hz, and 1000 Hz were associated with an elevated incidence of hyperglycemia (all p < 0.05), with the highest risk of 1.27 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.47) at 31.5 Hz (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Exposure to occupational noise may be associated with an increased incidence of hyperglycemia, with the highest risk observed at 31.5 Hz, providing a possible link between noise exposure and cardio-metabolic disease.

scholarly journals Preschool Personnel Exposure to Occupational Noise

2016 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 300-307
Author(s):  
Darja Kaļužnaja ◽  
Svetlana Lakiša
Keyword(s):  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Health Complaints ◽  
Occupational Noise ◽  
Loud Noise ◽  
Subjective Health Complaints ◽  
Preschool Classrooms ◽  
Noise Measurements

Abstract Increased noise, which is also below the occupational exposure values and is “hearing safe” noise, affects the exposed person’s health as a non-specific stressor. Increased noise level also creates an environment for additional vocal apparatus load. The objective of this study was to determine preschool personnel occupational noise and its relationship with subjective health complaints. Data were obtained with survey assistance through subjective answers of respondents about health complaints and noise exposure among Rīga preschool personnel. Objective noise measurements were made to assess real noise levels in the preschool environment. Data from 155 respondents and objective measurements of 37 preschool classrooms were obtained. The results showed that the average 8-h noise exposure among Rīga preschool educational institutions was 70 dB(A), which did not exceed the Latvian work environment noise limits, but exceeded the 35–40 dB(A) noise limit in the educational environment guidelines recommended by the WHO. The survey results showed that loud noise is one of the most important workplace environmental factors (~70% of respondents feel a necessity to increase voice because of noise). A constant feeling of fatigue, headache, irritable feeling, and a desire to isolate oneself from others more often occurred in respondents exposed to increased noise, compared with those who noted that they were not exposed to increased noise. In general, loud noise was associated with increased subjective health complaints in preschool education institution personnel.

Tuberculosis in the Workplace: OSHA's Compliance Experience

1996 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-164
Author(s):  
Melissa McDiarmid ◽  
Melissa J. Gamponia ◽  
Margaret A.K. Ryan ◽  
Jon Mark Hirshon ◽  
N.A. Gillen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Skin Testing ◽  
Control Program ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Homeless Shelters ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Healthcare Facilities

AbstractObjective:Inspections of 272 facilities were performed between May 1992 and October 1994 to determine compliance with applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for prevention of tuberculosis (TB) transmission.Design:Retrospective record review of two data sources: (1) OSHA's Computerized Integrated Management Information System and (2) an inspector-completed questionnaire on inspection results.Setting/Participants:Inspections of five types of facilities: healthcare institutions, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, long-term–care facilities for the elderly, and others, including drug treatment centers that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified as having a higher than expected rate of TB.Methods:The OSHA Compliance Memorandum, based on the 1990 CDC Guidelines, which outlined elements of a TB prevention program, was used in performing 272 inspections of facilities between May 1992 and October 1994. Elements of compliance were recorded and reviewed from the IMIS database and inspectors' questionnaires.Results:Regulated facilities were not fully compliant with OSHA guidance. Generally, healthcare facilities performed better than other facilities. Most facilities (79%) were compliant with administrative elements of a comprehensive TB control program, such as early identification of known or suspected infectious TB patients and skin testing of workers. Only 29% of inspected facilities were found to have acceptable respiratory protection programs for the prevention of occupational TB.Conclusion:Facilities have not been fully compliant with the OSHA memorandum describing protection of workers from TB. Facility compliance was better with some traditionally recognized TB infection control elements, but was weaker in the area of respiratory protection programs. This may reflect a lack of familiarity with the latter type of hazard protection.

Transient Sensorineural Hearing Loss after Overuse of Portable Headphone Cassette Radios

1985 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 622-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip C. Lee ◽  
Craig W. Senders ◽  
Bruce J. Gantz ◽  
Steven R. Otto
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Maximum Level ◽  
Acoustic Trauma ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Maximum Output ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Listening Levels

Noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss has been associated with Industry for many years. One conservative estimate suggests that 10 million Americans may have industry-related, noise-induced hearing loss. Acoustic trauma from any source, whether associated with work or recreations, is detrimental to hearing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set industrial standards for noise levels, with current standards limiting noise exposure to 95 dBA for 2 hours daily. To date, however, there are no recreational standards. Many portable headphone cassette radios produce peak outputs of more than 100 dBA. Temporary threshold shifts could result from listening levels near the maximum output. Permanent sensorineural loss may result with repeated exposure. A pilot study was conducted in which 16 volunteers listened to headphone sets for 3 hours at their usual maximum level. Six volunteers showed transient shifts of 10 dB, and one volunteer showed a transient shift of approximately 30 dB. These shifts returned to normal within 24 hours. As expected, transient shifts frequently occur with recreational use. Therefore, recreational warnings and standards should be established.

scholarly journals Acoustic Study of Noise Generated by Arzew's Industrial Units in Limited Batteries

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (02) ◽  
pp. 115-125
Author(s):  
Iliace Arbaoui ◽  
Ahmed Hamou ◽  
Abderrezzaq Tadjeddine ◽  
Abdelkader Harrouz ◽  
Cherif Benoudjafer
Keyword(s):  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Health Effect ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Industrial Zone ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Industrial Sites ◽  
Acoustic Study ◽  
Noise Measurements ◽  
Gas Plants

This study carried out concerns noise pollution from the Arzew industrial zone. Currently, noise is an integral part of our environment and represents a major current issue, due to its dangerous health effect. Due to the proximity between industrial sites and residential areas, which very often generates noise-related conflicts that require the intervention of an acoustic expert to resolve and protect the neighbourhood from noise exposure from the complexes in the Arzew industrial zone. We have dedicated our work to the assessment of noise emissions generated by several oil and gas plants located in the ARZEW industrial zone and to the verification of the application of laws relating to the limitation of noise levels emitted into the environment by the various facilities. We focused our study on noise measurements in the periphery of the plants, known as the "property limit", also known as the "battery limit". 

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