A cross-sectional study of hearing thresholds among 4627 Norwegian train and track maintenance workers.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Railway workers performing maintenance work of trains and tracks could be at risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss, since they are exposed to noise levels of 75-90 dB(A) with peak exposures of 130-140 dB(C). The objective was to make a risk assessment by comparing the hearing thresholds among train and track maintenance workers with a reference group not exposed to noise and reference values from the ISO 1999.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

A major Norwegian railway company.

Participants

1897 and 2730 male train and track maintenance workers, respectively, all exposed to noise, and 2872 male railway traffic controllers and office workers not exposed to noise.

Outcome measures

The primary outcome was the hearing threshold (pure tone aud

SUBMITTER: Lie A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4202010 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature