According to a research done by the University of Michigan School of Nursing, 42% of factory workers exposed to noise have hearing loss. The worst part, however, is that about 75% of them claimed having good hearing when asked. The study was done on 2,691 workers from the Midwest automobile factory.
In turn, what researchers concluded from this study is that “a need for development of reliable and valid self-report measures of hearing loss” was the key to better self-reporting hearing ability from workers.
Because specific sources of their hearing loss were not exactly determined—whether it was work-related, environmental, biological, etc.—they did mention a need for surveillance methods, safety policies, and programs to help evaluate the effectiveness of hearing conservation programs, identify health concerns, and prevent occupational hearing loss.
To view the original article, visit http://ehstoday.com/health/news/workers-fail-self-report-hearing-0702/.
For questions regarding occupational noise testing and safety implementation, call us at 407-505-2803 or visit https://safetylinks.net/index.php/industrial-hygiene/noise for more information.