Prevent Hearing Loss in Agricultural Jobs – Grit | Rural American Know-How – Grit Magazine
Help protect hearing by avoiding activities that include high decibel noise or wear hearing protection during the activity to prevent irreversible damage.
by Baker County Tourism
Cutting oats at Hedge Rose Farms in Halfway, Ore.
It’s so important to prevent noise-induced hearing…….
Help protect hearing by avoiding activities that include high decibel noise or wear hearing protection during the activity to prevent irreversible damage.
by Baker County Tourism
Cutting oats at Hedge Rose Farms in Halfway, Ore.
It’s so important to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Those of us who grow up in or work in an agricultural setting are exposed to very high levels of noise when we complete many of our tasks. Because of that, we have a significant risk of developing some type of hearing loss by the time we’re 30 years old.
Nearly 30% of the people in the agriculture industry experience this type of hearing loss, which is referred to as noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Which Farm Activities Cause Hearing Loss?
Researchers have learned that, without the use of hearing protection, activities such as riding a tractor without a cab, exposure to grain dryer noise, and participating in shooting sports could lead to permanent hearing damage.
Additional activities that put people at risk for hearing loss include snowmobile riding, lawn mowing, leaf blowing, and woodworking tools.
NIHL can occur when exposure to loud sound occurs briefly or when we’re exposed to loud noise over extended periods of time. In both instances, the noise can damage sensitive structures in the inner ear, leading to NIHL. The damage may or may not be immediately detected. Hearing may be damaged in one or both ears, and generally is irreversible.
Decibel Ranges
Sound is measured in units called decibels (dBA). Normal conversation occurs at decibel levels of 60-70 and exposure to these sounds are not likely to result in hearing loss. When sounds are at or above 85 dBA, long or repeated exposure to this sound can cause loss of hearing ability.
Some common sound decibel levels include:
- Movie theater – 74-104
- Motorcycles and dirt bikes – 80-110
- Music at maximum headphone volume, sporting events and concerts – 94-110
- Sirens – 110-129
- Fireworks show – 140-160
Prevent Farm Job-Related Hearing Loss
Distance from the sound and the length of exposure are important factors in hearing protection. A general rule to help protect hearing is to avoid activities that include high decibel noise or at least consistently wear hearing protection during the activity.
Because most of us don’t carry decibel meters with us, using hearing protection is our best defense against hearing damage. You can download apps to your smart phone to measure noise levels. Depending on the level of noise involved, use of a variety of hearing protection devices may be the best practice.
In selecting hearing protection, look at the NRR (noise-reduction …….
Source: https://www.grit.com/community/health/prevent-hearing-loss-zb0z2112/
