Washington — Greater than half of staff who’re uncovered to hazardous noise on the job don’t constantly use hearing protection, outcomes of a latest NIOSH research present.
Researchers reviewed practically 40,000 employee responses to the 2007 and 2014 National Health Interview Survey. They discovered that of the greater than 5,400 staff who expertise hazardous noise publicity at work, 53% didn’t “always” or “usually” put on hearing protection.
Industries with the very best prevalence of hearing protection gadget nonuse have been lodging and meals providers (90%), health care and social help (83%), and schooling providers (82%). Prevalence additionally was notably excessive in a number of industries during which occupational noise is a longstanding hazard, together with agriculture, forestry, fishing and searching (74%) and building (52%).
“The prevalence of HPD nonuse remains high,” Elizabeth Masterson, research co-author and NIOSH epidemiologist, stated in a press launch. “Increasing worker awareness and providing training about the importance of proper and consistent use of HPDs can protect workers from the effects of hazardous noise. In addition, we need to overcome barriers to HPD use by ensuring that workers have HPDs that are comfortable and do not overprotect from noise so they can hear speech and other important workplace signals.”
The research was published online Oct. 1 within the American Journal of Industrial Drugs.