Working in noise for a long time may lead to hearing loss. To prevent and reduce hearing loss caused by occupational noise, it is necessary to raise workers' awareness of hearing health. Employers should implement relevant prevention requirements in accordance with the law and improve workers' labor protection mechanisms.

Working in a noisy environment for a long time may lead to a gradual decline in hearing, but it is difficult to detect it in the early stages. Once hearing loss accumulates to a certain extent, the hearing loss is often irreversible. The hearing loss caused by noise work is like "boiling frogs in warm water", which is easily overlooked by workers.

Noise is one of the most widely distributed and exposed human health hazards, especially in industries such as mining, manufacturing, furniture, smelting, and aviation. What are the hazards of occupational noise? How to prevent and reduce hearing loss caused by occupational noise? How do workers protect their hearing? For these questions, reading this article will provide one by one answers.

Noisy work refers to work in an environment with noise hazards, where the equivalent sound level of 8 hours/day or 40 hours/week of noise exposure reaches 80 decibels. Prolonged exposure to noise can lead to hearing loss, especially if engaged in noise work for a long time, which may cause occupational noise induced hearing loss.

Occupational noise induced hearing loss refers to a progressive sensorineural hearing impairment that occurs during the working process due to long-term exposure to noise. It is one of the statutory occupational diseases. "Occupational noise induced hearing loss not only endangers the physical health of workers, but may also cause other safety hazards.

The degree of hearing damage is closely related to the duration of exposure to noise work. Once occupational noise induced hearing loss occurs, it may not only cause hearing damage, but also symptoms such as faster heartbeat, increased nervousness, and delayed response, which can damage the functions of the human nervous, cardiovascular, immune, digestive and other systems.

According to the "Diagnostic Standards for Occupational Noise Deafness" (GBZ 49-2014), the diagnosis of occupational noise deafness requires a continuous history of occupational noise exposure for at least 3 years, with symptoms such as progressive hearing loss and tinnitus. Pure tone audiometry is considered sensorineural deafness. Based on occupational health monitoring data and on-site occupational hygiene surveys, a comprehensive analysis is conducted to exclude hearing damage caused by other reasons before diagnosis can be made.

Among the hearing loss patients treated by otologists, many are in their fifties or sixties, mostly from industries with high levels of noise hazards. They have symptoms such as tinnitus, dizziness, and eartightness in the early stages, but the onset of hearing damage is slow. Early hearing loss does not affect life and is often overlooked by patients.

Many frontline workers engaged in noise work do not wear noise prevention equipment such as earplugs and earphones correctly. They feel that they may not have a pleasant hearing after wearing them, feel inconvenient, and simply do not wear them. This is actually a manifestation of the lack of hearing health knowledge among workers, and people do not understand or attach importance to preventing hearing damage.

To prevent noise hazards, it is necessary to reduce the generation of noise from the source! "Recently, reporters walked into the stamping workshop of Chang'an Automobile Beijing Company. Workshop director Zhang Jianbo told reporters that the stamping workshop mainly uses press machines to manufacture automotive components, and certain noise is generated during the production process. To protect the health of employees, low-noise equipment and facilities are used in the production area instead of high-noise equipment and facilities, Install springs, isolators, and other elastic materials between the vibration source of the press and its foundation to effectively control the generation of vibration noise.

The reporter saw warning signs such as "Noise is harmful to human health, please pay attention to protection!" in the stamping workshop, not only reminding employees to pay attention to noise protection, but also announcing the latest noise point detection results.

In addition to reducing noise, it is also necessary to separate people from machines as much as possible to reduce the impact of noise on employees. "Workshop director said that by using isolation facilities such as soundproof rooms, soundproof covers, soundproof doors and windows, as well as automated production technology, the production line of the stamping workshop is operated in a closed manner to minimize the spread of noise.

The safety officer of the stamping workshop conducts daily labor protection inspections in the workshop. "The company has formulated the" Standards for Wearing Labor Protection Equipment in the Stamping Workshop ", which requires employees to wear noise proof earplugs correctly when entering the stamping workshop. Employees who do not wear earplugs will be deducted 100 yuan in performance, and will be publicized in the workshop to urge everyone to implement labor protection measures in place.

The company has equipped its employees with noise proof earplugs in accordance with the "Guidelines for the Selection of Hearing Protectors" (GB/T23466) standard, with a noise proof value of 31 decibels. After operators correctly wear earplugs, the noise level can achieve good protective effects, and the noise level is controlled at 63.7 decibels.

At present, China's "Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Law" and "Occupational Exposure Limits for Hazardous Factors in Industrial Places Part 2: Physical Factors" have detailed regulations on the prevention of occupational noise induced hearing loss. Since the hearing damage caused by noise operations is irreversible, the best way is to prevent it! Employers should implement relevant prevention requirements in accordance with the law and improve the labor protection mechanism for employees.

Workers should establish a sense of 'everyone is the first person responsible for their own health', attach importance to protecting their hearing health, understand relevant knowledge of hearing protection, adhere to the correct wearing of personal protective equipment such as earplugs and earmuffs, and undergo regular occupational health examinations. 'Don't wait until you get old and have to wear hearing aids for hearing loss to regret.'

At present, there is no comprehensive and effective cure for occupational noise induced hearing loss. "Ye Yan emphasized that when workers experience noise induced hearing loss, the first step is to have a formal diagnostic report issued by an occupational disease diagnosis institution registered with the health administrative department to clarify the diagnosis. Employers should properly arrange for employees to avoid further exposure to noise hazards.

At Changan Automobile Beijing Company, each employee who is exposed to occupational hazards has a health monitoring record, which includes three stages: pre employment, on duty, and on leave. The detailed record of the employee's occupational health examination results before employment, during duty, and on leave.

Employees in the stamping workshop must first participate in occupational health training and pass the assessment before taking up their positions. "Duan Hongyi introduced that the training content covers the occupational hazards, protective measures, and occupational disease prevention and control measures of the position. The initial training time should not be less than 8 class hours, and the continuing education should not be less than 4 class hours. In addition, employees will also undergo an occupational health examination every year. In the past three years, the qualified rate of all employees in the stamping workshop who have come into contact with occupational hazards through physical examinations has reached 100%, which is inseparable from a sound occupational disease prevention and control management mechanism.