Noise exposure, hearing protection and hearing loss. A long-term study at an automobile sheet-metal pressing plant.
(1997)- Abstract
- The design and implementation of a hearing conservation programme in a heavy industry with high noise levels is described. Action was taken on several points, including noise measurements, noise reduction, education on hearing protector use, and audiometric monitoring. It was found that the noise at the plant has been greatly reduced during a period of 25 years. The reduction in noise was made possible by identifying predominant sources of noise, changing the structure of the buildings and by changing production methods. The results are presented in the form of noise zone maps.
By means of noise dosimetry, one case of automation was studied on a production line for large sheet metal punchpresses. It was found that the... (More) - The design and implementation of a hearing conservation programme in a heavy industry with high noise levels is described. Action was taken on several points, including noise measurements, noise reduction, education on hearing protector use, and audiometric monitoring. It was found that the noise at the plant has been greatly reduced during a period of 25 years. The reduction in noise was made possible by identifying predominant sources of noise, changing the structure of the buildings and by changing production methods. The results are presented in the form of noise zone maps.
By means of noise dosimetry, one case of automation was studied on a production line for large sheet metal punchpresses. It was found that the introduction of automation reduced the noise immission to the workers in spite of the fact that new sources of noise had been introduced. Also, the number of workers exposed to noise was reduced.
The use of hearing protectors was studied through a questionnaire. A device was constructed which measured the use of earmuffs during the working day. It was found that 30% of the workers reported problems due to heat, sweat, itching and other local problems. Few complaints regarding communic-ation difficulties and accident hazards were reported. The workers who had problems due to sweat were also found to have a higher production of sweat than other workers, under the same conditions.
The audiograms in each age group were studied by means of a retrospective investigation covering 25 years. During the studied period, the median hearing thresholds in each age group improved by 17-20 dB HL. These improvements will have a major influence on the number of workers entitled to economic compensation as a consequence of noise-induced hearing loss.
In a longitudinal investigation covering up to 15 years, an analysis was made of the audiograms of workers who had been employed at the plant for many years. It was found that the rate of threshold shift was no faster than in ISO7029 (1984) database A. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Det doktorandarbete som framläggs av Pawel Brühl handlar om flera aspekter av ett framgångsrikt genomfört bullerskyddsarbete i en stor svensk industri med mycket hög bullernivå (Volvos pressverk i Olofström). Man har genomfört ett program bestående av bullermätningar, bullerreduktion med flera metoder samt studium av automatiseringens konsekvenser. Arbetstagarna har fått genomgå audiometri och de har erhållit individuell hörselskyddsrådgivning.
I det första delarbetet, Noise emission zones in an automobile sheet-metal pressing plant. A 25-year follow-up study at three locations in the plant, har bullernivåerna uppmätts med ljudnivåmätare som placerats på olika punkter i... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Det doktorandarbete som framläggs av Pawel Brühl handlar om flera aspekter av ett framgångsrikt genomfört bullerskyddsarbete i en stor svensk industri med mycket hög bullernivå (Volvos pressverk i Olofström). Man har genomfört ett program bestående av bullermätningar, bullerreduktion med flera metoder samt studium av automatiseringens konsekvenser. Arbetstagarna har fått genomgå audiometri och de har erhållit individuell hörselskyddsrådgivning.
I det första delarbetet, Noise emission zones in an automobile sheet-metal pressing plant. A 25-year follow-up study at three locations in the plant, har bullernivåerna uppmätts med ljudnivåmätare som placerats på olika punkter i fabriken. Resultatet presenteras i kartform i en och samma industrilokal under 25 år med ett kontinuerligt bullerbekämpningsprogram. Detta har innefattat åtgärder från arbetsmetoder, prov med olika plåtkvaliteter och bullerreduktion vid källan. Man finner att det har lyckats att begränsa bullrets utbredning så mycket att stora delar av fabriken inte längre är hörselskadliga.
I det andra delarbetet, Impact noise exposure from sheet-metal presses: Manual versus automated production, beskrivs införandet av automatik i en plåtpresslinje. Man har här använt sig av individuell dosimetri som mätmetod. Införandet av automatisering medför nya bullerkällor men samtidigt ökar avståndet mellan maskiner och arbetare. Den studerade arbetslokalen ledde till en reduktion av bullerdosen för arbetstagarna samt att antalet bullerexponerade arbetstagare sjönk.
Arbete nummer tre, The influence of comfort on the effective use of hearing protectors, avhandlar problem med hörselskyddsanvändning. Författarna har kartlagt problemen med en enkätundersökning och sedan uppmätt hur länge under arbetsdagen som hörselskydden faktiskt användes i industrin. Hos 30% av arbetstagarna orsakade hörselskydden klåda, svett och värme som besvärade. Hörselskyddsanvändningen var likväl hög, 90% av tiden i buller, vilket är mycket höga siffror internationellt sett. Företagshälsovården har således lyckats mycket väl med rådgivning, information och motivering. Vidare har man lyckats att mäta temperatur och fuktighet under hörselkåporna och fann att de arbetare som uppgivit att de besvärats mest av svettproblem på grund av hörselkåpor också faktiskt hade större svettproduktion.
Det fjärde arbetet, Noise-induced hearing loss in an automobile sheet-metal pressing plant. A retrospective investigation covering 25 years, beskriver hörselskadornas utveckling under 25 års tid i industrin. Hörtrösklarna för medianarbetaren i varje åldersgrupp förbättrades under observationstiden med 17-20 dB vilket är mycket höga värden och svarar mot en ökad livskvalitet för ett stort antal arbetare. Antalet ersättningsberättigade hörselskador har också reducerats väsentligt vilket på sikt minskar utbetalningarna från arbetsskadeförsäkringarna.
Svårigheten med retrospektiva underslökningar är givetvis förbunden med det faktum att nyrekrytering och avgång fortgår kontinuerligt varför arbetstagarna har olika bakgrund och anställningstid. För att studera hörselskadeutvecklingen hos enskilda arbetare har man därför utvalt dem som varit anställda under 7-15 års tid. Detta är gjort i delarbete nummer fem, Noise-exposed male sheet-metal workers using hearing protectors. A longitudinal study of hearing threshold shifts covering fifteen years. Författarna har då jämfört hörtrösklarna med en stor databas (ISO A) där det normala åldrandet beskrivs. Man fann överraskande att audiogrammen hos de anställda visade sig sjunka mindre än det normala åldrandet enligt denna databas.
I avhandlingsarbetet presenteras en faktisk beskrivning av hur bullerskyddsarbete kan bedrivas i praktiken. Skrifterna är av intresse för flera olika grupper som skyddsingenjörer, företagsläkare, öronläkare och audiologer samt kan tydliggöra förebyggande insatsers positiva sidor för politiska och försäkringsmedicinska ställningstaganden. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/28981
- author
- Brühl, Pawel LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Laukli, Einar, Tromsö
- organization
- publishing date
- 1997
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- audiology, Otorhinolaryngology, noise zone, dosimetry, human, industry, Hearing conservation programme, auditive system and speech, Otorinolaryngologi, audiologi, hörsel- och talorganen
- pages
- 102 pages
- publisher
- Pawel Brühl, Volvo Car Corp., S-293 80 Olofström, Sweden,
- defense location
- Malmö
- defense date
- 1996-12-11 10:15:00
- external identifiers
-
- other:ISRN: LUMEDW/MERM-1026-SE
- ISBN
- 91-628-2249-7
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 77da5948-dba9-4de5-a98c-fabee2dfb493 (old id 28981)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 10:44:52
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 21:00:33
@phdthesis{77da5948-dba9-4de5-a98c-fabee2dfb493,
abstract = {{The design and implementation of a hearing conservation programme in a heavy industry with high noise levels is described. Action was taken on several points, including noise measurements, noise reduction, education on hearing protector use, and audiometric monitoring. It was found that the noise at the plant has been greatly reduced during a period of 25 years. The reduction in noise was made possible by identifying predominant sources of noise, changing the structure of the buildings and by changing production methods. The results are presented in the form of noise zone maps.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
By means of noise dosimetry, one case of automation was studied on a production line for large sheet metal punchpresses. It was found that the introduction of automation reduced the noise immission to the workers in spite of the fact that new sources of noise had been introduced. Also, the number of workers exposed to noise was reduced.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The use of hearing protectors was studied through a questionnaire. A device was constructed which measured the use of earmuffs during the working day. It was found that 30% of the workers reported problems due to heat, sweat, itching and other local problems. Few complaints regarding communic-ation difficulties and accident hazards were reported. The workers who had problems due to sweat were also found to have a higher production of sweat than other workers, under the same conditions.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The audiograms in each age group were studied by means of a retrospective investigation covering 25 years. During the studied period, the median hearing thresholds in each age group improved by 17-20 dB HL. These improvements will have a major influence on the number of workers entitled to economic compensation as a consequence of noise-induced hearing loss.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
In a longitudinal investigation covering up to 15 years, an analysis was made of the audiograms of workers who had been employed at the plant for many years. It was found that the rate of threshold shift was no faster than in ISO7029 (1984) database A.}},
author = {{Brühl, Pawel}},
isbn = {{91-628-2249-7}},
keywords = {{audiology; Otorhinolaryngology; noise zone; dosimetry; human; industry; Hearing conservation programme; auditive system and speech; Otorinolaryngologi; audiologi; hörsel- och talorganen}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Pawel Brühl, Volvo Car Corp., S-293 80 Olofström, Sweden,}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Noise exposure, hearing protection and hearing loss. A long-term study at an automobile sheet-metal pressing plant.}},
year = {{1997}},
}