Efficacy of a Targeted Intervention Method to Improve the Use of Hearing Protection Devices among Agro-Industrial Workers in Malaysia

Sirri Ammar,Ahmad Filza Ismail,Ailin Razali,Aziah Daud

doi:10.3390/app12052497

Abstract

Hearing-protection devices (HPD) are crucial in protecting workers from hazardous noise exposures. Despite the mandatory implementation of hearing-conservation programmes at the workplace, compliance with proper HPD usage among workers has been shown to be poor. This study aims to develop and determine the efficacy of a targeted intervention to improve the use of HPD among noise-exposed agro-industrial workers. One group of workers was given a targeted training module, while another group received a standard training module. Their self-reported HPD use and the intention to use HPD in the future were compared to evaluate the effect of the interventions. The targeted intervention significantly increased HPD use after four months compared to the control intervention. The findings showed that improving the workers’ compliance with HPD usage is possible by implementing a well-designed training method.

Highlights

hearing-protection devices (HPD) use and the intention to use HPD in the future were compared to evaluate the effect of the interventions
Findings showed that the average baseline HPD usage among the participants was only in ourthe findings showed that the average baseline usage in among participants was region of
From the baseline HPD use of 66.7%. This result differs from the findings reported in a study among factory workers in America, which showed no significant change in HPD use after

Summary

Introduction

HPD use and the intention to use HPD in the future were compared to evaluate the effect of the interventions. More and more workers are exposed to hazardous levels of noise in the workplace due to the expansion of industrialisation, especially in developing countries [2,3]. Engineering and administrative controls are the preferred methods used to control noise hazards, they are not always practicable or adequate to eliminate all harmful noise. In such cases, personal hearing-protection devices (HPD) are still necessary to protect workers. Sam et al (2016) reported that manufacturing workers use HPD 39% of the time when exposed to high levels of noise at work [5]. Numerous interventional studies on the use of HPD among noise-exposed workers have taken a targeted or tailored approach to constructing a form of intervention [10]. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations

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