Few studies have been conducted characterizing noise exposures within OGE. For example, a study of six underground coal mines in Alabama, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia found workers could be exposed to up to 120 dBA depending on the type of equipment used. Hazardous noise sources within Mining are pervasive. Nearly 90% of coal miners will have developed hearing impairment by the age of 50 years. estimated that 61% of workers within Mining have been exposed to hazardous noise, the highest of any industry. Ī number of studies have demonstrated the high prevalence of hearing loss within the Mining and Quarrying sector (hereby denoted as Mining), and Oil and Gas Extraction (OGE) sector, previously grouped by NIOSH as one National Occupational Research Agenda sector While some studies have examined the Mining sector, no known studies have measured the prevalence of hearing loss within OGE. In addition to the health effects associated with hearing loss, an estimated $123 billion in economic benefit could be obtained if 20% of hearing loss from excessive noise were prevented. A previous National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study found that hearing impairment among noise-exposed workers led to 2.53 years of healthy life lost per 1,000 workers per year. Twenty-three percent and 15% of noise-exposed workers have hearing difficulty and tinnitus (ringing in the ears), respectively. Of the 12% of the working US population that experiences hearing difficulty, 58% of the cases are attributable to occupational noise exposure. Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic physical conditions in the United States, surpassed only by hypertension and arthritis. Ototoxic chemicals can cause or potentiate the effects of noise in causing OHL. Hazardous noise (≥85 decibels A-weighted ), along with ototoxic chemicals exposures, can lead to hearing loss attributable to employment, also known as occupational hearing loss (OHL). Fourteen percent of workers in the United States report exposure to hazardous noise each year.
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