AbstractIntroductionOverexposure to noise remains a widespread and serious health hazard in the U.S. service providing and goods producing industries. Excessive noise can lead to poor verbal communication and reduce the ability to recognize warning signals. These dangerous work conditions can also cause stress and fatigue. Occupational hearing loss is a permanent illness, with no recovery currently possible.MethodNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recognized Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) as one of the ten leading work-related diseases and injuries in the United States, and has emphasized its importance as one of the critical areas expressed in the National Occupational Research Agenda.ResultsOne of the most serious noise problems in the goods producing industries is the operation of continuous mining machines during underground coal mining. In order to minimize occupational hearing loss, noise hazards are “designed out” early in the design process. NIOSH is leading a national initiative called Prevention through Design (PTD) to promote this concept. This paper describes the quiet-by-design approach of a noise control that reduced noise exposures of continuous mining machine operators by 3dB(A) using the four functional areas of PTD, namely Practice, Policy, Research, and Education.
Application of Prevention through Design for Hearing Loss in the Mining Industry
Journal of Safety Research ; 39 , 2 ; 251-254
2008-01-01
4 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
Noise Exposure , Hearing Loss , Occupational , PTD , Noise Control , Noise , Mining , Mine Heatlh
Noise-induced hearing loss modelling using fuzzy system in mining industry
Online Contents | 2007
|A sugeno fuzzy model for noise induced hearing loss in the mining industry
Online Contents | 2008
|Development of a computer-based, multimedia hearing loss prevention program
Online Contents | 2010
|Online Contents | 1993
|Occupation related firefighter hearing loss
Elsevier | 1983