OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS (OHL) SURVEILLANCE

Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (TWU) Statistics

Noise Exposure and Hearing Protection

• About 26% of all workers in Transportation and Warehousing and 46% of all workers in Utilities are exposed to hazardous noise.¹
• 33% of noise-exposed Transportation and Warehousing workers and 20% of noise-exposed Utilities workers report not wearing hearing protection.¹

Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

• Approximately 12% of all Transportation and Warehousing workers and 13% of all Utilities workers have hearing difficulty.²
• About 7% of all Transportation and Warehousing workers and 12% of all Utilities workers have tinnitus.²
• About 12% of noise-exposed tested TWU workers have a material hearing impairment. Hearing impairment is hearing loss that impacts day-to-day activities.³
• 8% of noise-exposed tested TWU workers have hearing impairment in both ears.⁴

Trends Among Noise-Exposed Tested TWU Workers (1981-2010)³

• The prevalence for TWU decreased 6% over 30 years (1981-2010) as compared with a less than 1% reduction for all industries.
• The incidence for TWU decreased 4% over 25 years (1986-2010) as compared with a 2% reduction for all industries.
• The adjusted risk for TWU decreased 52% over 25 years (1986-2010) as compared with a 46% reduction for all industries.

Prevalence of Hearing Loss by Time Period and Industry Sector, 1981 – 2010, for 1,816,812 Workers


Adapted from Figure 1, Masterson et al. 2015

Incidence of Hearing Loss by Time Period and Industry Sector, 1986 – 2010, for 560,320 Workers


Adapted from Figure 2, Masterson et al. 2015

Risk of Incident Hearing Loss Compared to the 1986-1990 Time Period, by Industry Sector, for 560,320 Workers

Adapted from Figure 3, Masterson et al. 2015

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.