Hearing protection use in manufacturing workers: A qualitative study

Abstract

Occupational noise is a significant contributor to disabling hearing loss worldwide. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has resulted in huge human and economic consequences costing New Zealand approximately $53M annually and rising. A high proportion of hearing loss claims are made by workers in the manufacturing sector. Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are used together with engineering and administrative controls to minimize noise exposure and to prevent hearing loss. Unfortunately, inconsistent and improper use of HPDs has hindered efforts to prevent NIHL. The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that influence the use of HPDs amongst a group of manufacturing workers in New Zealand. A purposive sample of twenty-five workers was recruited to take part in semi-structured interviews. The open-ended questions were aimed at exploring the participants' knowledge, attitude, beliefs, and behavior towards noise and HPDs. The data were analyzed using conventional content analysis and key themes emerged in relation to HPD use. Themes that emerged from the interviews either supported good hearing protection behavior or acted as barriers against it. Five major themes, (perception of noise, hearing preservation, reluctance to use HPDs, workplace interaction, and value of hearing) and sub-themes described various factors that influence hearing protection use. Both personal and environmental factors influence the use of HPDs. Based on this study, personal and environmental factors need to be targeted for further research using ecological models to develop interventions that promote HPD use amongst workers.

Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Hearing Impairment among Small and Medium Enterprise Workers in Selangor, Malaysia

“…According to findings of studies in various countries, hearing loss and hearing impairment were positively related to age, male sex and middle-and low-income regions, previous and current exposure time to high noise (Reddy et al 2012;Stevens et al 2013). In light of these influencing factors, analysis regarding age, gender, monthly salary and employment years were done.…”

“…However, noise, a by-product of such advancement has been identified to affect the human hearing capability (Basu 2010). Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is undoubtedly prevalent in industrial countries (Reddy et al 2012), with no exception for Malaysia as manufacturing industry is the major sector in this country. Despite the existence of many other industrial hazards, none of it so common and widespread like noise pollution (Maisarah 1993).…”

“…NIHL is characterized as sensorineural, bilateral type of hearing loss which affects the function of cochlear due to prolonged and cumulative noise exposure (DOSH 2010;El Dib et al 2012;Reddy et al 2012). Hearing loss is one of the most severe and highly occurred sensory deficits in human populations (Mathers et al 2000).…”

Study of Personal Hearing Protection Devices Usage in Kashan Carpet Industry Workers

“…Even though there are several methods to reduce or control the noise transmitted to the workers and the most effective of these is the engineering controls, that is, remove the noise at the source, however, applying this technique is relatively expensive and may not always be feasible or practical or may be insufficient to reduce noise to an acceptable level (41). Hearing protection devices are known to be very effective, but they may have some problems (42,43) and some of the workers may not properly use these protective measures.…”

Noise perception and hearing protector use in metallurgical industries

“…The occupational noise level is a permanent concern in all regions, being the major cause for the incapacitating deafness in the world (Reddy et al, 2012), is a public health problem with many social and economic consequences (Lie et al 2015), and despite the imposed regulations and standards, occupational hearing loss persists.…”