Manufacturing industry is one of the most important sectors that contribute significantly to the economy of Malaysia. More than half a million workers in Malaysia work in this industry and many of them are exposed to loud noises of more than 85dB that is harmful to health. Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the highest reported occupational disease affecting around 16% of workers globally. In this book, we reported a study conducted in 26 manufacturing industries that employed around 270,000 workers with more than 40% of them were exposed to noises that potentially cause NIHL. This cross-sectional study designed with face-to-face interviews using questionnaires conducted among Occupational Safety and Health practitioners and workers selected from these industries. Direct and indirect cost was imputed component covering cost of medical care and rehabilitation, transportation, loss of productive time and investigations. Costing data in the government hospital was obtained from casemix information system from a tertiary teaching hospital. The study confirmed that NIHL among workers in manufacturing industry imposed a huge economic burden for Malaysia. In order to mitigate this problem, the existing and yet out-dated noise regulation need to be reviewed. Meanwhile employers need to implement hearing conservation program more effectively.

Manufacturing industry is one of the most important sectors that contribute significantly to the economy of Malaysia. More than half a million workers in Malaysia work in this industry and many of them are exposed to loud noises of more than 85dB that is harmful to health. Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the highest reported occupational disease affecting around 16% of workers globally. In this book, we reported a study conducted in 26 manufacturing industries that employed around 270,000 workers with more than 40% of them were exposed to noises that potentially cause NIHL. This cross-sectional study designed with face-to-face interviews using questionnaires conducted among Occupational Safety and Health practitioners and workers selected from these industries. Direct and indirect cost was imputed component covering cost of medical care and rehabilitation, transportation, loss of productive time and investigations. Costing data in the government hospital was obtained from casemix information system from a tertiary teaching hospital. The study confirmed that NIHL among workers in manufacturing industry imposed a huge economic burden for Malaysia. In order to mitigate this problem, the existing and yet out-dated noise regulation need to be reviewed. Meanwhile employers need to implement hearing conservation program more effectively.

According to the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health, approximately 30 million employees are exposed to dangerous noise levels at work and an additional nine million workers are at risk for hearing loss from other ototoxins such as metals and solvents. Millions of children and young adults are also at risk for noise-induced hearing loss in non-occupational settings. Hearing Conservation: In Occupational, Recreational, Education, and Home Settingsis the most current text to cover all major topics related to noise-induced hearing loss, including the military, construction, manufacturing, mining, transportation, the music industry, the home environment, education settings, and recreational arenas. From the underlying principles of hearing loss to audiometric testing procedures to assessment of hearing conservation programs, this book is packed with information for audiologists and other members of the interdisciplinary team who provide hearing conservation services for at-risk groups.Special Features: Many examples of audiometric data, that enhance understanding of all types of hearing impairment, test procedures, and standard threshold shift calculations Protocols for comprehensive audiological, tinnitus, and auditory processing evaluations Clinical pathways and follow-up action steps when a standard threshold shift is confirmed, including decisions about worker compensation in occupational settings Assessment of the effectiveness of a wide range of hearing conservation programs and correction of deficiencies, along with training, educational, and motivational techniques The most current information about hearing protection and enhancement devices, related regulations, selection and fitting, and training workers in how to use them for optimal results A set of discussion questions at the end of each chapter that stimulate review and classroom dialogue Comprehensive in scope, easily accessible, and useful to both clinicians and investigators,Hearing Conservation: In Occupational, Recreational, Education, and Home Settings is essential for audiologists, occupational hearing conservationists, otolaryngologists, internists, occupational nurses, noise control engineers, and any other practitioner who plays a role in developing, implementing, and maintaining hearing conservation measures. It is also an excellent text for graduate level audiology courses in hearing conservation.

Introduces a revised approach to the management and control of noise in the workplace. This book presents assessment and management of noise risks, practical advice on noise control, buying and hiring of quieter tools and machinery, selection and use of hearing protection and the development of health surveillance procedures.

Workplaces primarily rely on hearing protection devices (HPDs) for prevention of occupational noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). This study was initiated to investigate the potential barriers to the implementation of engineered noise control (ENC) which is considered to be the best prevention measure. The study investigated knowledge and perception about NIHL and ENC among decision-makers and workers in the food products manufacturing industry in British Columbia. We contacted company Health and Safety Departments. They were sent packages of questionnaires and return envelopes for distribution among specified subjects. Follow-up phone calls were made to increase participation. Analysis included descriptive statistics, nonparametric methods and simple and multiple logistic regressions. Twenty-two companies and 92 individuals participated (response rate 32.5%). Nearly two-third of the respondents were non-management. A similar proportion was involved in health and safety activities. The majority of the respondents perceived NIHL to be a big disadvantage and said that they would be bothered by it. Respondents were knowledgeable about the effects of noise exposure on health but had poor knowledge about harmful levels of noise, ENC and the limitations of HPDs. They considered HPDs, hearing tests and education to be more effective in preventing NIHL than ENC. Management showed poorer knowledge and lower perception than non-management. Those involved in health and safety performed slightly better than those who were not involved in such activities. Interventions should be undertaken to educate management about ENC options and limitations of HPDs. Regulatory agency should create special branches to help workplaces in choosing suitable ENC.

In the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress declared that its purpose was to assure, so far as possible, safe and healthful working conditions for every working man and woman and to preserve our human resources. In this Act, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is charged with recommending occupational safety and health standards and describing exposure concentrations that are safe for various periods of employment-including but not limited to concentrations at which no worker will suffer diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his or her work experience. By means of criteria documents, NIOSH communicates these recommended standards to regulatory agencies (including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]) and to others in the occupational safety and health community. Criteria documents provide the scientific basis for new occupational safety and health standards. These documents generally contain a critical review of the scientific and technical information available on the prevalence of hazards, the existence of safety and health risks, and the adequacy of control methods. In addition to transmitting these documents to the Department of Labor, NIOSH also distributes them to health professionals in academic institutions, industry, organized labor, public interest groups, and other government agencies. In 1972, NIOSH published Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Noise, which provided the basis for a recommended standard to reduce the risk of developing permanent hearing loss as a result of occupational noise exposure [NIOSH 1972]. NIOSH has now evaluated the latest scientific information and has revised some of its previous recommendations. The 1998 recommendations go beyond attempting to conserve hearing by focusing on preventing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This criteria document reevaluates and reaffirms the recommended exposure limit (REL) for occupational noise exposure established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 1972. The REL is 85 decibels, A-weighted, as an 8-hr time-weighted average (85 dBA as an 8-hr TWA). Exposures at or above this level are hazardous. By incorporating the 4000-Hz audiometric frequency into the definition of hearing impairment in the risk assessment, NIOSH has found an 8% excess risk of developing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) during a 40-year lifetime exposure at the 85-dBA REL. NIOSH has also found that scientific evidence supports the use of a 3-dB exchange rate for the calculation of TWA exposures to noise. The recommendations in this document go beyond attempts to conserve hearing by focusing on prevention of occupational NIHL. For workers whose noise exposures equal or exceed 85 dBA, NIOSH recommends a hearing loss prevention program (HLPP) that includes exposure assessment, engineering and administrative controls, proper use of hearing protectors, audiometric evaluation, education and motivation, recordkeeping, and program audits and evaluations. Audiometric evaluation is an important component of an HLPP. To provide early identification of workers with increasing hearing loss, NIOSH has revised the criterion for significant threshold shift to an increase of 15 dB in the hearing threshold level (HTL) at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, or 6000 Hz in either ear, as determined by two consecutive tests. To permit timely intervention and prevent further hearing losses in workers whose HTLs have increased because of occupational noise exposure, NIOSH no longer recommends age correction on individual audiograms.