Facilitating Effective and Reliable Resources for Occupational Safety and

Health in the Turkish metal sector

Funded by the Netherlands embassy , Ankara, Turkey

Noice-induced hearing loss

derived from Emutom e-course

• The 5th European Working Conditions Survey shows that the physical hazards have remained a problem for the European workers in the last few years.

Which are the effects of physical factors?

Worker- occupational diseases- occupational related diseases- accident of work

Workplace- days of incapacity of work- a new worker- risk insurance

How can we protect ?

Worker

I. Reduces the PA at the source

Eg:- isolation - change the device

How we can protect ?

Worker

II. Reduce exposure time

Increase the distance

How can we protect ?

Worker

III. At the Worker LevelE.g.:- isolation (special cabin)- individual equipment protection

What is the Role of the OH Physician?

Noise

• What is noise?– a group of unwanted or/and wanted sounds which

produce an unpleasant hearing sensation, sometimes disturbing, which impede communication

– an annoying sound• The perception depends on the listener and the

circumstances (e.g. rock music can be pleasant for a person, but uncomfortable in a surgery room).

What is occupational noise?

• a complex of sounds, of variable intensities and pitches, having different characteristics, rhythmic or rhythmless, produced continuously or discontinuously by machines, tools, devices, means of transportation, the human voice, etc, during the performance of the professional activity

Characteristics of sounds

What is the Threshold Limit Value?• The Threshold Limit Value (TLV) depends on the work

specificity (International Standard, ISO 1999-1990).• The Law establishing this is the Directive 2003/10/EC

of the European Parliament and of the European Council.

• This directive is to be transposed into the national legislation of all Member States.

• In the European countries the maximum admitted values (Leq - weekly equivalent acoustic level) at the workplace with normal neural-sensorial solicitation are between 85 and 90 dB (A).

What are the Health Effects?

http://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/video/hearingvideo.htm

What are the Health Effects?

Auditory Acute :• tinnitus• acoustic trauma

Chronic:• hypoaccousia • Noise Induced

Hearing Loss (NIHL)

Non-auditory• sleep disturbances• general effects

(cardiovascular, metabolic changes)

• behavioural effects

The audiogram - records both ways of sound transmission: air and bone conduction

Normal audiogram

NIHL

Treatment

1. Ceasing the exposure to noise and other toxic substances (Hg, SC2, toluene, Gentamycin, Kanamycin etc)

2. Medication: antioxidants, vitamins

3. Hearing aids in severe cases

How can we protect from noise?

I. Reduces the N at the source

E.g.:- isolation - change the device

Technical and organizational measures

Worker

III. At the worker levelE.g.:- isolation (special cabin)- individual equipment protection (ear plugs or ear muffs)

II. Reduce exposure time

Increase the distance

How can you protect from noise?

Medical measurements• Pre-employment examination• Periodical examinations

– Audiometric testing

• Risk assessment• Risk management

Ultrasounds and infrasoundUltrasounds > 20000 Hz= inaudible

Where to be found? (workplaces)• - industry (used in detecting defects,

cleaning of pieces etc)• medicine (ultrasounds, dental

scaling, therapy)• devices against thieves, pests etc

Infrasound 1-20 Hz= inaudible

Where to be found? (workplaces)• natural sources:

– geological (earthquakes, landslides, avalanches) or

– meteorological events (storms, tornadoes)

• artificial sources: – industrial machines– ventilation systems, air

conditioning– aircraft– rail traffic

What are the health effects of ultrasounds and infrasound?

Ultrasounds Acute effects: 18-30 kHz• headache, fatigue at the

end of the day, sleepiness during day time, the feeling of pressure inside the ear, walking disturbances, numbness, and sensitivity disturbances.

Chronic effects:• vascular disturbances,

increase of the central and skin temperatures, hyperglycemia, increased number of eosinophiles

InfrasoundAcute exposure:• to intensities high enough

to be heard, it can determine a decrease in vigilance

Chronic exposure:• to normal levels present in

the environment, there is not enough evidence

How do we protect from ultrasounds and infrasound?

• By respecting the technical prophylactic measurements concerning noise exposure

• In case of ultrasounds, wearing rubber cotton gloves may be of help