On-the-Job Noise-Induced Hearing Impairment: Professions With Greater than Average Risk

Could your job be contributing to your hearing impairments? Extreme noise levels are one of the most common causes of hearing damage. Worrying about your ability to hear is a natural response for anyone working at a high-noise profession.Approximately 30 million employees are at risk of hazardous noise exposure on the job according to the Centers for Disease Control.Workers in high-noise job areas must equip themselves with the specifics of occupational hearing safety and keep an open conversation with their companies.

All employees should assess their own work surroundings for high-noise levels, especially anyone in the following jobs.

• Manufacturing – The largest number of permanent hearing losses suffered in the workplace are in manufacturing. Manufacturing industries routinely expose workers to machinery and equipment which generates upwards of 90 decibels of noise for extended period of time.
• Construction – Construction workers rank next to the highest for permanent hearing loss disabilities suffered in the workplace. Construction equipment routinely exposes staff to heavy machinery that produces over 90 decibels. A Washington State study of construction workers discovered that in spite of being exposed to noises exceeding 85 decibels during 70 percent of their shifts, construction workers only wore ear protectors 20% of the time (or less).
• Chemicals Industry – Exposure to certain substances (especially those that contain n-butyl alcohol, toluene, lead and carbon monoxide) has been connected to increased hearing loss by itself. These particular chemicals now known to combine with noise to cause increased hearing loss.
• Miners – According to the Center for Disease Control, 49 percent of male miners are expected to have a hearing impairment before age 50 – versus 9 percent of the general population – rising to 70% by age 60.
• Motorcycle Courier – Research into motorcycle noise – with and without helmets – under various driving conditions at speeds between 45 mph to 65 noted that the noise measured ranged from 70 decibels to 128 decibels.
• DJs and Nightclub Staff – Everyone that works in a nightclub – security, wait staff, bartenders – is at risk, not just the musicians. In a controlled research study, noise levels of up to 108 decibels were recorded in the nightclubs. The average noise level for a typical nightclub outing was 96 decibels which is over the noise level at which the provision of hearing protection is required for employers in industry. The study concluded that Disc Jockeys are at substantial risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and sound exposure in nightclubs frequently exceeds safe levels.
• Musicians – Across practices, studio recording and performances, musicians are constantly engulfed in sound. The list of famed music artists with permanent hearing problems or tinnitus keeps growing each and every year. Well known artists on the current list include Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Young, Phil Collins, George Martin, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
• Band & Orchestra – A study on the noise exposures of classical musicians experienced during both performances and rehearsals found that the brass section averaged 95 decibels while the strings and brass section averaged 90 decibels. Top volumes were 130 decibels in the percussion and brass sections. A different Swedish research project showed that 59 out of 139 orchestra musicians had hearing losses greater than that normal for their ages.
• Airport Staff – The noise of an airplane engine is one of the loudest auditory occupational hazards, with noise levels at a shocking 140 decibels.
• Firefighters and Paramedics – All those sirens squealing add up over time. Several research studies have examined the frequency of hearing disabilities in firefighters and emergency vehicle drivers with most concluding that firefighters suffer increased hearing loss relative to the general public of the same age.
• Military – Noise-induced hearing loss is the number one disability among US military personnel. According to the Deafness Research Foundation, over 65 percent of combat troops returning from Afghanistan are afflicted by noise-induced hearing loss.
• Plumbers – The CDC website states that 48% of plumbers reported that they had a perceived hearing loss.