According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), work-related hearing loss continues to be a critical workplace safety and health issue. Noise-induced hearing loss is 100 percent preventable, but once acquired, hearing loss is permanent and irreversible.
Approximately 30 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise on the job and an additional 9 million are at risk for hearing loss from other agents such as solvents and metals. Noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common occupational diseases and the second most self-reported occupational illness or injury.
While any worker can be at risk for noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace, workers in industries such as agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing and utilities, transportation, and the military have higher exposures to dangerous levels of noise. Industry specific studies reveal: 44% of carpenters and 48% of plumbers reported that they had a perceived hearing loss; and 49% of male, metal/nonmetal miners will have a hearing impairment by age 50 (vs. 9% of the general population), rising to 70% by age 60.
COSTS Comprehensive data on the economic impact of hearing loss are not available; however, the following localized examples provide an indication of the broader economic burden:
- In Washington State, workers’ compensation disability settlements for hearing-related conditions cost $4.8 million in 1991 (not including medical costs). When applied to the national workforce, occupational hearing loss costs an estimated $242.4 million per year in disability alone, although NIOSH noted that workers’ compensation data is an underestimate of the true frequency of occupational illness. This figure does not include medical costs or personal costs, which can include approximately $1500 for a hearing aid and around $300 per year for batteries.
PREVENTION Removing hazardous noise from the workplace through engineering controls (e.g. installing a muffler or building an acoustic barrier) is the most effective way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. NIOSH recommends hearing loss prevention programs for all workplaces with hazardous levels of noise. These programs should include noise assessments, engineering controls, audiometric monitoring of workers’ hearing, appropriate use of hearing protectors, worker education, recordkeeping, and program evaluation.
For more information on occupational hearing loss or other work-related injuries or illnesses, call 800/35-NIOSH or visit NIOSH.
Based on DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2000-103
