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However, among those ages 56-65 years, nearly half (48.6%) had some hearing impairment (chart 50e). Among construction workers ages 18-25 years surveyed by NIOSH, only less than 2% had hearing impairment. It is estimated that hearing loss leads to more than three disability-adjusted life years (DALYs see Glossary) per 1,000 construction workers, the second highest among all industries (chart 50d). Among construction workers tested between 20, 16.3% had hearing impairment ( see Glossary) compared to 12.9% among all industries (chart 50c). 7 The results from the NIOSH database indicate that construction workers have the highest prevalence of hearing loss of any industry except for mining. To develop a national surveillance system for occupational hearing loss, NIOSH has collected millions of de-identified audiograms from thousands of workplaces across the nation. Yet, information about whether hearing loss was induced by the respondent’s job is unavailable in the current NHIS data. In spite of this, according to the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a large household survey in the U.S., at least one in five (20.4%) construction workers reported some hearing trouble ( see Glossary), 30% higher than that for all industries combined (15.7% chart 50b). These numbers are too small for a valid conclusion. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported only 900 cases of NIHL in construction through the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 6 and the rate was just 0.1 per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2015 (FTEs see Glossary chart 50a).
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5 As a result, hearing loss among construction workers is rarely recognized as work-related. 3 The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommended exposure level (REL see Glossary) is 85 dBA for an eight-hour period, 4 but noise exposure in construction may exceed this standard ( see page 32).Įven if employees experience noise levels at or above OSHA’s PEL, employers have no obligation to test workers’ hearing (audiometric testing) on job sites. 2 However, NIHL often results from extended exposure to sound levels at or above 85 dBA, and can even occur at lower exposure levels. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) set the permissible exposure limit (PEL see Glossary) for construction noise to 90 A-weighted decibels (dBA see Glossary) over an eight-hour period. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL see Glossary) affects workers’ quality of life and increases the risk of injury – for instance, when a worker cannot hear approaching vehicles or warning signals. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Construction and Other IndustriesĮvery year, thousands of construction workers suffer hearing loss from excessive noise exposure on the job.