Evaluation of Occupational Exposure to Noise and Its Effect on Hearing Loss of Workers in a Cement Factory in Northern Iran

Background and: Industrial noise affects the health of workers and can disrupt the daily communication of workers. The aim of this study is to evaluate occupational exposure and investigate the hearing loss of workers in the two sections of cement mill and material mill of a cement factory in north of Iran. Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted on ۵۲ persons in ۲۰۲۰. At first, the sound measurement was performed with the Casella CEL ۴۵۰ device in A-weighting network at workers' workplaces based on area-based method. Then, by referring to the medical records and demographic information, the amount of hearing loss in the frequencies of ۲۵۰-۸۰۰۰ Hz was evaluated. Finally, the results were analyzed using SPSS software version ۱۹. Results: Independent samples T-test showed that the average sound pressure level in the cement mill section (۸۵.۵۰ dBA) is higher than the material mill section (۷۴.۳۸ dBA) (P-value = ۰.۰۱). The highest rate of hearing loss was observed at frequencies of ۴۰۰۰ and ۸۰۰۰ Hz. The hearing loss rate was ۱۰ decibels for both ears in the material mill section. No significant difference was observed in the amount of hearing loss in the right and left ears of employees. Conclusion: Noise pollution and hearing loss is common among employees of cement industry. To prevent hearing loss, it is necessary to evaluate and monitor the noise pressure level. Furthermore, engineering measures in the field, using personal protective equipment, as well as adequate training of employees should be conducted.

کلیدواژه ها:

Hearing Loss ، Noise-Induced ، Analysis ، Frequency Analysis. ، ، افت شنوایی ، ، صدا ، ، سیمان