Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Cantley, Linda F.
• Galusha, Deron
• Cullen, Mark R.
• Dixon-Ernst, Christine
• Tessier-Sherman, Baylah
• Slade, Martin D.
• Rabinowitz, Peter M.
• Neitzel, Richard L.

Titel

Does tinnitus, hearing asymmetry, or hearing loss predispose to occupational injury risk?

Ist Teil von

• International journal of audiology, 2015-02, Vol.54 (S1), p.S30-S36

Ort / Verlag

England: Informa Healthcare

Erscheinungsjahr

2015

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Abstract Objective: To determine the relative contributions of tinnitus, asymmetrical hearing loss, low frequency hearing loss (pure tone average of 0.5, 1, 2, 3 kHz; PTA.5123), or high frequency hearing loss (pure tone average of 4, 6 kHz; PTA46), to acute injury risk among a cohort of production and maintenance workers at six aluminum manufacturing plants, adjusting for ambient noise exposure and other recognized predictors of injury risk. Design: Retrospective analysis. Study sample: The study considered 9920 workers employed during 2003 to 2008. The cohort consisted of 8818 workers (89%) whose complete records were available. Results: Adjusting for noise exposure and other recognized injury predictors, a 25% increased acute injury risk was observed among workers with a history of tinnitus in conjunction with high-frequency hearing loss (PTA46). Low frequency hearing loss may be associated with minor, yet less serious, injury risk. We did not find evidence that asymmetry contributes to injury risk. Conclusion: These results provide evidence that tinnitus, combined with high-frequency hearing loss, may pose an important safety threat to workers, especially those who work in high-noise exposed environments. These at risk workers may require careful examination of their communication and hearing protection needs.