Occupational hearing loss

Occupational hearing loss (OHL) is hearing loss that occurs as a result of occupational hazards. OHL, damage to one or both ears from exposures related to one's occupation, is a large but preventable problem. Organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) work with employers and workers to reduce or eliminate completely hazards to hearing. Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illness in the United States.

Hazards to the hearing of workers include industrial noise, and exposure to various ototoxic chemicals. These exposures may also interact to cause more damage than either one would by itself. Many chemicals have not been tested for ototoxicity, so unknown threats may exist.

A 2016 study by NIOSH found that the mining sector had the highest prevalence of hearing impairment at 17%, followed by the construction sector (16%) and the manufacturing sector (14%). The public safety sector had the lowest rate of hearing impairment, at 7%.

Personal protective equipment, administrative controls, and engineering controls can all work to reduce exposure to noise and chemicals, either by providing the worker with protection such as earplugs, or by reducing the noise at the source or limiting the time or level of exposure.

Occupational hearing loss is defined as damage to either or both ears, at the inner ear or auditory nerve, that results from an exposure in a person's occupation. Although high levels of noise are the main cause of occupational hearing loss (also called noise-induced hearing loss) there are also other factors in the work environment that can result in it. Chemicals, foreign bodies, vibration, barotrauma, along with other hazards can result in hearing loss. These losses that these workers obtain, affect many aspects of their life, mainly social interactions.

...
Wikipedia