The agricultural industry and hearing loss

Without a doubt, hearing loss comes to everyone at some point in their lives but especially as we age.

However, one would often not expect to be exposed to excessive levels of noise and ultimately suffering Noise Induced Hearing Loss, from working in a farm. Working on a farm involves the use of loud machinery and equipment, also even animals can play a role in hearing loss too.

A few members safety experts from Kansas State University found that hearing loss can be related to the farming and ranching activities you would normally expect in a farm.

Brad Dirks, who is an associate director of the University’s assistance program, usefully distinguishes the different types of noise we are exposed to. He states:

“Exposure hearing loss can be from a one-time experience or using circular saw without protection…cumulative (hearing loss) can happen over time, like working 40-50 years around machinery that push you above the decibel cutoff of 80-85 (dB)”

Noise exposure also depends on not only the amount of years you are exposed to noisy tools or machinery in a farm, but also how close you are to the noise.

Tractors with a cab are more muffled compared to those without and machinery in open spaces will dissipate noise compared to those in enclosed areas. Tractors, as goes on by Dirks, normally produce 110 to 120 decibels of noise.

Interestingly, animals can also cause noise that can contribute towards a person’s cumulative hearing loss. This is something that is often overlooked by people suffering from hearing loss.

The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in America found that pigs squealing can be around 100 decibels, therefore prolonged exposure to noise such as this, in a closed environment with multiple pigs can also be a contributing factor.

Ultimately, the above can be applied to British farmers and especially those who are not protected from noise from the farm, by not wearing ear defenders or ear plugs or even both.

One should bear in mind that should they be employed to work in a farm or in the surrounding areas, whether ear protection should be mandatory or supplied. It is to be stressed that hearing safety is important because hearing damage is permanent and something that cannot be fixed.

Although, hearing loss can be prevented through the use of protective measures such as hearing protection and noise surveys of zones in the workplace to identify the likely levels of noise exposed to people.

Further reading

Story source

Noise-induced hearing loss – Oakwood Solicitors

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