A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) finds that the risk of work-induced hearing loss may be declining, but efforts are still needed in some industries.
A study published in February by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) finds that the risk of work-induced hearing loss may be declining, but efforts are still needed in industries such as mining, construction and health care.
In reviewing the results of hearing tests of nearly 2 million noise-exposed workers from 1981 to 2010, researchers found that the overall prevalence of hearing loss in all industries remained consistent at 20 percent. Because the number of new cases of hearing loss decreased, however, study authors concluded that some progress has been made in preventing occupational hearing loss.
Construction had the highest incidence of hearing loss during most of the time periods in the study. Other occupations did not show a decline in the risk of hearing loss during the last five years of the study period. They included mining, health care and social assistance. The study was published online Feb. 17 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.