NOISE INDUCED HEARING

LOSS (NIHL)
BSUIR SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
APRIL 2015

BY ROMAN MATVEEV
 I H
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Introduction to NIHL
NIHL is

“a hearing impairment resulting from exposure to

high levels of noise”,

and it is also commonly known

as industrial deafness.
Statistics
 NIHL

Irreversible Reversible
hearing hearing
loss loss
Intensity↔Pitch
 INTENSITY

Intensity = 20logreferenceparticular
20dB=10*log1020
20dB=10*0dB
40dB=100*20dB
60dB=1000*40dB
85dB
 Table 2
Noise Level

94 dB Movie

99 dB Snowmobile

110 dB Video Arcade

115 dB Motorboat

120 dB Rock concert

127 dB Sporting events

154 dB Car stereo

167 dB Gunshot

180 dB Firecracker
 PITCH
The lowest limit of
20Hz hearing range

2000-
NIHL 4000Hz

The upper limit of 20,000Hz

hearing range
 Table 1
Approximate Decibel Examples
Level
0 dB The quietest sound you can hear

30 dB Whisper, quiet library

60 dB Normal conversation, sewing machine,

typewriter
90 dB Lawnmover, truck traffic
Maximum daytime exposure: 8 hours

100 dB Chainsaw, drill, snowmobile

Maximum daytime exposure: 2 hours

115 dB Sandblasting, loud rock concert, auto horn

Maximum daytime exposure: 2 hours

140 dB Gun blast, jet engine

Noise causes pain and injures to unprotected
ears. Maximum allowed noise with hearing
protector
 How our hearing works

MicroFilm: How Our Hearing Works

Like blades of grass…
 Means of Ear Protection

Earmuffs Earplugs
 Conclusion: We should
remember
 NIHL is entirely preventable but
once acquired it is irreversible.

 The haircells never grow back,

they are unrecoverable.

That is why we should take care

today.
 Statistics of NHIL claims
Number of Claims for NIHL

1998-99 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002

Claims for NIHL 5755 5280 5185 4510

Percentage of Total 24 22 21 19
Disease Claims
Percentage of Total 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.2
Disease and Injury
Claims

Claims in SA decreased from 370 in 1999 to 190 in 2002

Although the number of NIHL claims has been reduced, it does
not mean that noise induced deafness has been reduced

*most recent data available (2006)

 Number of claims per hundred thousand employees
Statistics of NHIL claims
NIHL Claims per Exposed Employees (2001/2)
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
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The highest number of claims are made by: Labourers and related workers, 33%
Tradespersons and related workers, 30% Intermediate production & transport
workers (plant or machine operators or transport drivers).
Statistics of NHIL claims
The average cost of workers compensation claims for NIHL in
2001/2 was calculated to be $6711.

Therefore, for Australia, the direct cost of NIHL claims for

2001/2 is calculated to be $6711 x 4510 claims i.e. just over
$30 million.

This figure does not include Hearing Aid fittings

Prevention NIHL
Noise Control and Hearing Loss Prevention
Program
Actions to reduce noise exposure eg. Noise insulation, ear
protection

Actions to monitor the health of employees eg, annual

hearing screening programs

Establishing a noise control policy and

program
noise control policy and program will enable a systematic
approach to hearing conservation in a company eg purchasing
policy on equipment noise levels, mandatory ear protection,
training programs for employees