Mining Safety and Health Research at NIOSH Reviews of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2007) / Chapter Skim
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9 Review of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Prevention Research
9 Review of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Prevention Research
Pages 108-119
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From page 108... ...
Occupational hearing loss continues to be one of the most pervasive problems facing today's workers. More than 30 million Americans across many fields are regularly exposed to hazardous noise levels (Franks et al., 1996; NIH, 2002)
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From page 109... ...
, Occupational Noise Exposure, emphasizes the primacy of engineering and administrative noise controls and fuels increased interest in noise-induced hearing loss prevention research by all stakeholders, including universities, manufacturers, government offices, industry associations, labor, mining companies, professional associations, and foreign entities. STRATEgIC gOALS AND OBjECTIvES Strategic goal 2 of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
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From page 110... ...
End result is not actionable by NIOSH: it mining industry and MSHA by 2008 cannot force stakeholders to adopt and use the information 2. Develop engineering noise control The goal for existing noise controls will be Same comments as for goal 1, above; actually technologies applicable to surface and achieved by disseminating comprehensive reducing noise exposure by 25% is not actionable underground mining equipment procedures for the evaluation and application by NIOSH, but NIOSH can increase awareness of of suitable noise controls in underground noise control technologies and surface metal, nonmetal, and coal mines within 3, 4, and 5 years, respectively.
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From page 111... ...
The program goal is to reduce noise exposures of the nation's miners through research efforts associated with worker noise exposure and related sources, noise control technologies, worker empowerment and education, and improved hearing protection devices.
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From page 112... ...
REvIEW OF RESEARCH OUTPUTS A total of 67 of the 1,428 (4.7 percent) Mining Program outputs are related to hearing loss prevention.
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From page 113... ...
The Hearing Loss Prevention Unit (mobile audiology van) has visited 42 locations around the country and performed hearing tests on more than 5,400 workers, including more than 1,900 miners.
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From page 114... ...
A order the most critical Patterns and profiles, and exposure-response baseline to gauge future noise noise problems in the Sources relationships control efforts will be established industry and provide a baseline to gauge future performance 3. Definition and 2 Evaluate the efficacy of various noise In situ measurements will offer Publication of in situ Assessment of control technologies realistic measures of performance measurement results Engineering could prove helpful to Noise Controls manufacturers of other large equipment outside the mining industry 4.
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From page 115... ...
7. Pilot Study on 2 Determine the significance of cutting Continuous miners create Publication of in situ Coal Cutting noise relative to the noise exposure of the greatest number of noise measurement results Noise Related continuous mining machine operators overexposures (MSHA, 2006)
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From page 116... ...
Noise reduction of roof bolting machines using wet and mist drilling, and 3. Reducing noise on continuous mining machines using coated flight bars.
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From page 117... ...
It should also be noted that reducing noise exposures should theoretically provide benefit to all segments of the mining workforce. REvIEW OF END OUTCOMES The desired end outcome, as expressed by the Mining Program, is to reduce the incidence of NIHL in the mining population.
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From page 118... ...
Reductions in noise expo sure are generally accepted to translate into a reduction in noise dose, and given the lack of data regarding the actual reduction rates of NIHL, the committee is using exposure reduction as a proxy to measured end outcomes. The moderate reductions in noise exposures to operations from adding a partial cab to surface drilling rigs, coating the flight bars of continuous miners, new dust collector fan design, jacketed tail roller, and substituting mist for water in roof bolters (drills)
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From page 119... ...
It appears that the Noise Partnership is heavily focused on coal mining noise. If this is the case, it should be expanded to include metal and nonmetal mining.
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