Evaluating the Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in an Auto Parts Factory in China

Wei Gong, Liangliang Zhao, Ling Li, Thais C. Morata, Wei Qiu, Huiling Amy Feng and Baoli Zhu
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Wei Gong: Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, China
Liangliang Zhao: Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, China
Ling Li: Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, China
Thais C. Morata: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
Wei Qiu: Auditory Research Laboratories, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY 12903, USA
Huiling Amy Feng: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
Baoli Zhu: Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-14

Abstract: A survey was administered to 385 noise-exposed workers from an auto parts factory and 1268 non-noise-exposed health department employees in China. Individual 8 h A-weighted equivalent sound levels (L Aeq,8h ), earplug personal attenuation ratings (PARs), and pure-tone audiometric tests were performed. The average L Aeq,8h of noise-exposed workers was 87 dB (A) with a mean PAR of 7 dB. The prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss was 65% for noise-exposed workers and 33% for the non-noise-exposed employees. The use of earplugs had no observable effect on the prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss of the study participants (OR 0.964, 95% CI 0.925–1.005, p = 0.085). No significant relationship between the effectiveness offered by earplug use and high-frequency hearing thresholds at 3, 4, and 6 kHz was found (t = ?1.54, p = 0.125). The mandatory requirement of earplug use without individualized training on how to wear HPDs correctly had no detectable effect on the prevention of hearing loss at the auto parts factory. The hearing conservation program at the surveyed factory was not effective. Periodic hearing tests, earplug fit testing, expanding the offer of different types of hearing protection, and employee education about the importance of protecting their hearing were recommended to the occupational health and safety program.

Keywords: hearing protection device (HPD); earplug; noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL); fit testing; personal attenuation rating (PAR); audiometric test (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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