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Hearing Conservation
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Hearing Conservation

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 11473

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alberto Behar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
Interests: acoustics; hearing protection devices; hearing loss; hearing conservation; hearing loss risk assessment; noise assessment and control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hearing conservation involves a large body of areas that people tend to overlook. Many consider conservation and protection synonyms, up to the point where even people involved in safety find providing hearing protectors an easy solution for noise problems in the workplace. However, simply handing over protectors is worthless if not preceded by noise assessment, selection of devices appropriate for the given workplace and, most importantly, a carefully crafted effort to teach why, where, when and how the protectors should be worn. Even then, there is still a need for hearing testing and analysis of the results to properly assess if protectors are really protective.

Hearing conservation is not always limited to noise. Other environmental factors can negatively affect hearing, too. Chemical agents, such as solvents, are well known to act synergistically with noise. The same applies to mechanical vibrations, whole-body as well as hands/arms ones.

Sound, in one way or another, affects everyone. The effects can be dangerous or pleasant, needed or unwanted. It is one of the five main ways in which we communicate with the outside world. How well we do this depends on the quality of our hearing, and we should thus thrive to keep it in as good a shape as possible.

This Special Issue of the journal aims to contribute to the knowledge of how to conserve it.

Dr. Alberto Behar
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hearing
  • hearing loss
  • hearing conservation
  • perception
  • intelligibility
  • annoyance
  • noise control

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1628 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in an Auto Parts Factory in China
by Wei Gong, Liangliang Zhao, Ling Li, Thais C. Morata, Wei Qiu, Huiling Amy Feng and Baoli Zhu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(13), 7190; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18137190 - 05 Jul 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3199
Abstract
A survey was administered to 385 noise-exposed workers from an auto parts factory and 1268 non-noise-exposed health department employees in China. Individual 8 h A-weighted equivalent sound levels (LAeq,8h), earplug personal attenuation ratings (PARs), and pure-tone audiometric tests were performed. The [...] Read more.
A survey was administered to 385 noise-exposed workers from an auto parts factory and 1268 non-noise-exposed health department employees in China. Individual 8 h A-weighted equivalent sound levels (LAeq,8h), earplug personal attenuation ratings (PARs), and pure-tone audiometric tests were performed. The average LAeq,8h of noise-exposed workers was 87 dB (A) with a mean PAR of 7 dB. The prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss was 65% for noise-exposed workers and 33% for the non-noise-exposed employees. The use of earplugs had no observable effect on the prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss of the study participants (OR 0.964, 95% CI 0.925–1.005, p = 0.085). No significant relationship between the effectiveness offered by earplug use and high-frequency hearing thresholds at 3, 4, and 6 kHz was found (t = −1.54, p = 0.125). The mandatory requirement of earplug use without individualized training on how to wear HPDs correctly had no detectable effect on the prevention of hearing loss at the auto parts factory. The hearing conservation program at the surveyed factory was not effective. Periodic hearing tests, earplug fit testing, expanding the offer of different types of hearing protection, and employee education about the importance of protecting their hearing were recommended to the occupational health and safety program. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hearing Conservation)
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16 pages, 1303 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of a Novel Index System in Preventing Early Hearing Loss among Furniture Industry Skills Training Students in Malaysia
by Khairul Azhar Abdul Rahim, Jegalakshimi Jewaratnam, Che Rosmani Che Hassan and Mahar Diana Hamid
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(21), 8032; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218032 - 31 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2454
Abstract
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the most reported occupational disease in Malaysia. ONIHL is aggravated by the presence of early hearing loss amongst the youth prior to entering a real working environment. At technical and vocational education training (TVET) institutions, students may [...] Read more.
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the most reported occupational disease in Malaysia. ONIHL is aggravated by the presence of early hearing loss amongst the youth prior to entering a real working environment. At technical and vocational education training (TVET) institutions, students may develop early ONIHL because training workshops are designed imitating the industrial working environment to produce skilled workers. The exceeding noise level at workshops and recent risk of non-occupational noise can cause early ONIHL among these students. Therefore, ONIHL must be addressed at the early stage of producing skilled workers. Octa hearing conservation index (OHCI) system is developed as a management and monitoring tool for hearing conservation program (HCP) in TVET institutions. Six existing and two new HCP components were used to build the index system. A pilot test on the effectiveness of the OHCI system was conducted in a selected TVET institution for six months. The post-HCP shows a 52.6% improvement compared to the pre-HCP. The implementation of HCP has shown improved awareness on the hazards of loud noise exposure and active use of hearing protection devices among participants. The OHCI system has a great potential as a tool to improve HCP implementation in TVET institutions, and eventually, industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hearing Conservation)
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11 pages, 490 KiB  
Article
Case Study in a Working Environment Highlighting the Divergence between Sound Level and Workers’ Perception towards Noise
by Chun-Yip Hon, Illia Tchernikov, Craig Fairclough and Alberto Behar
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(17), 6122; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176122 - 23 Aug 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2626
Abstract
Excessive noise levels are a prevalent issue in food processing operations and, although there have been numerous studies on occupational noise, no single study has used a concurrent mixed-methods approach. Employing this study design allows for an understanding of the level of convergence [...] Read more.
Excessive noise levels are a prevalent issue in food processing operations and, although there have been numerous studies on occupational noise, no single study has used a concurrent mixed-methods approach. Employing this study design allows for an understanding of the level of convergence (similarity) between measured noise levels and workers’ attitudes and perceptions towards noise. This, in turn, allows for the identification of potential challenges with respect to the implementation of hearing conservation efforts. In this study, spot noise measurements were collected using a sound level meter. One-on-one interviews were conducted with workers to determine attitudes and perceptions towards noise in their workplaces. Subsequently, the results of the noise measurements (quantitative data) were integrated with the survey responses (qualitative data) to identify convergence. The majority of the noise measurements were found to exceed 85 dBA—the criterion mandated by the local occupational health and safety legislation. Although all study participants felt that it was noisy in the workplace, a large proportion of respondents indicated that the noise was not bothersome. With workers’ perception being contradictory to the measured noise levels, it is a challenge to implement hearing conservation measures unless changes are made to raise the awareness of the risks associated with excessive noise exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hearing Conservation)
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Review

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7 pages, 277 KiB  
Review
Audiometric Tests without Booths
by Alberto Behar
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 3073; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063073 - 17 Mar 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2357
Abstract
Audiometric booths are used to reduce background noise levels at testing locations to below values specified in the standards. As such, they are considered inherent parts of the audiometric testing equipment. This paper presents the results from a literature search of solutions that [...] Read more.
Audiometric booths are used to reduce background noise levels at testing locations to below values specified in the standards. As such, they are considered inherent parts of the audiometric testing equipment. This paper presents the results from a literature search of solutions that could ensure that background noise levels are acceptable outside booths. The technology used is especially valuable for survey tests and for locations where booths are unavailable or cannot be used for different reasons. However, its use is recommendable for only screening hearing tests but not for clinical or research applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hearing Conservation)
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