Current status of hearing loss and related influencing factors in workers with noise exposure in refining and chemical industry

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the current status of hearing loss and related influencing factors in workers with noise exposure in refining and chemical industry. Methods: From August 2015 to March 2016, the investigation method of collecting the data of past occupational health examinations and measuring noise in working environment was used to enroll 8 672 male workers. Results: Of all workers, 11.6% were diagnosed with hearing loss. There were significant differences in the distribution of hearing impairment among workers exposed to noise at different ages, device types and types of work (χ(2)=17.80, 77.80 and 30.53, all P<0.05) . The level of noise exposure≥85 dB (A) (OR=5.79, 95%CI 3.70-8.81) , working years with noise exposure (OR=1.57, 95%CI 1.05-2.43) , and 25 years (OR=3.29, 95%CI 2.08-5.71) were risk factors for hearing loss in workers with noise exposure in refining and chemical industry. Conclusion: The level of noise exposure and working years with noise exposure are main influencing factors for hearing loss in workers with noise exposure in refining and chemical industry.