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OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS (OHL) SURVEILLANCE

Overall Statistics – All U.S. Industries

Noise Exposure and Hearing Protection

  • About 17% of all workers are exposed to hazardous noise (about 22 million workers).1
  • 34% of noise-exposed workers report not wearing hearing protection.1

Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

  • Approximately 11% of all workers have hearing difficulty.2
  • About 8% of all workers have tinnitus.2
  • About 19% of noise-exposed tested workers have a material hearing impairment.3 Hearing impairment is hearing loss that impacts day-to-day activities.
  • 13% of noise-exposed tested workers have hearing impairment in both ears.4

Trends in Hearing Loss Among Noise-Exposed Tested Workers (1981-2010)3

  • The prevalence for all industries combined decreased less than 1% over 30 years (1981-2010).
  • The incidence for all industries combined decreased 2% over 25 years (1986-2010).
  • The adjusted risk for all industries combined decreased 46% over 25 years (1986-2010).
 Sources:
  1. Tak S, Davis RR, Calvert GM. (2009). Exposure to hazardous workplace noise and use of hearing protection devices among US workers — NHANES, 1999-2004. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 52(5):358-371.
  2. Masterson EA, Themann CL, Luckhaupt SE, Li J. & Calvert GM. (2016). Hearing difficulty and tinnitus among U.S. workers and non-workers in 2007. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 59, 290-300.
  3. Masterson EA, Deddens JA, Themann CL, Bertke S. & Calvert GM. (2015). Trends in worker hearing loss by industry sector, 1981-2010. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 58, 392-401.
  4. Masterson EA, Bushnell PT, Themann CL, & Morata TC. (2016). Hearing impairment among noise-exposed workers — United States, 2003–2012. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65(15), 389-394.
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