Noise Injury & Hearing Safety
Introduction
Hearing loss through noise injury is a major problem in the
farming community, affecting up to two-thirds of farmers to some
degree. Effects include difficulty hearing the telephone or
TV; hearing conversation at work, in class, at meetings or wherever
there is background noise.
Tinnitus, (ringing/noises in the ear or head) can also be a sign
of exposure to excessive noise. Hearing loss through noise
injury is painless, permanent, progressive and
preventable
Farm noise hazards
All machinery or activities where you need to raise your voice
to communicate 1 metre away, is a noise hazard. Common farm
noise hazards include tractors, chainsaws and firearms. The
louder the noise, the less time can be spent exposed to it before
damage starts to occur. Noise levels above 85dB over an 8
hour working day can damage hearing. Each 3dB increase above
this means the exposure time must be halved to stay within safe
levels.
Firearms have noise levels of over 140dB and should never be
used without adequate hearing protection. Exposure to several
noisy activities in the day is also cumulative toward the
recommended daily noise limit. The use of radios or MP3
players to drown out the noise associated with a task can also
greatly increase the risk of noise injury.
Noise Control Measures
A combination of approaches are required to reduce the risk of
noise injury in the workplace, these include:
- Eliminate the hazard.
- Substitution for a lesser hazard.
- Engineering/design options.
- Safer work practioces and procedures.
- Personal protective equipment- (PPE or PHP).
For more information refer to the Farm noise pamphlet (91kb)
Personal Hearing Protection
The selection of which type of personal protective equipment to
use is a very personal one, with both ear muffs and ear plugs
having their own advantages and disadvantages a summary of which is
shown in the table below. However the most important thing to
remember is the only useful kind of protection is the protection
that is actually worn.
To see a comparison of the relative advantages and disadvantages
of different forms of hearing protection Click Here. (19kb)
In addition to choosing a type of hearing protector that most
suits you, the level of protection given by the device needs to be
taken into account. The SLC(80) rating gives an indication of
the reduction of dB given by that grade of PHP.
| Class |
Av. noise level of hazard
|
SLC(80) rating for PHP
|
| 1 |
less than 90dB |
10-13 |
| 2 |
90 to 95dB |
14-17 |
| 3 |
95 to 100dB |
18-21 |
| 4 |
100 to 105dB |
22-25 |
| 5 |
105 to 110dB |
26+ |
For more information check out Farm
noise injury facts (229kb)
Shooting and Hearing
Shooting firearms will cause permanent hearing damage that
cannot be reversed. Whether you have been shooting for decades or
are only just starting, there are some simple steps that can help
you to prevent hearing loss and keep the hearing you have. A
firearm produces noise in excess of 140dB and appropriate hearing
protection must be worn by both the shooter and any
observers. It is recommended that both high grade ear plugs
and ear muffs are used when shooting.
For more information see the Shooting and Hearing Protection pamphlet
(1.99Mb)
Consequences of hearing loss.
Hearing loss can lead to social, physical and psychological
issues for both the sufferer and their family. These can
include fatigue from the effort of having to listen more closely,
loss of self-esteem through fear of being characterised as "deaf",
stress through being concerned about not hearing verbal
communications correctly, and isolation when situations are avoided
through fear of having difficulty hearing.
Close family members can experience irritation as a result of
constantly having to repeat themselves, stress of being associated
with someone who is hard of hearing and isolation through not being
able to effectively communicate with their partner.
What did you say?
Many people may have some form of hearing loss without even
realising it. It has been shown that perceived hearing loss is not
a good indicator of actual hearing loss.
Here are 10 simple questions that can help you determine if you
have a hearing loss problem. If you answer yes to one or more, you
may want to consult your doctor.
- Do others accuse you of turning the television too loud?
- Do others accuse you of not paying attention?
- Do you misunderstand 50 for 15 or 60 for 16?
- Can you hear better with one ear than the other on the
phone?
- Have you stopped attending plays and lectures because of the
strain exerted to hear what is being said?
- Do you have trouble understanding someone speaking to you from
another room?
- Do you have difficulty understanding speech when there is
background noise?
- Do you miss the punch line of jokes?
- Do you seem to hear the words but not understand them?
- Do you have a history of ear infections, earaches or running
ears?
Where to go?
Audiology services are distributed through most of the state,
with the majority of offices also travelling to more regional
areas. To find the closest audiologist to you Click Here
Or visit Audiology Australia at http://www.audiology.asn.au/
Noise Injury Prevention Pack
As part of the Noise Injury Prevention Program the following
materials were developed to reduce the risk of noise injury to the
farming commnity. To view the materials simply click on the
picture
If you would like to request copies of these materials please do
not hestitate to contact us
More Information
For More information check out the brochures below.
Noise_On_Farms (pdf 487kb)
Noise injury prevention strategy (pdf
203kb)
Farm
Safety Fact Sheet No. 7 - Farm Noise Safety (pdf 89kb)
Or visit these websites
Australian
Communication Exchange
Audio
Clinic
Farmsafe
Australia
Acknowledgements
This page has been updated to compliment Farmsafe WA Alliance's
Noise Injury Prevention Program. The program has been made
possible through generous support from the Australian
Communications Exchange.