Workplace Noise-Induced Deafness Prevention
Do you know what is the leading occupational disease in Singapore? Yes your are correct, it is the Noise-induced deafness (NID) .
Workers may be exposed to excessive noise emitted by equipment, machinery or even processes at the workplace. Hearing loss is an irreversible process and can lead to communication difficulties, disruptions in job performance, and impact one’s livelihood and quality of life.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be conducting inspections on noisy work environments in the manufacturing sector In the upcoming months
Below are some of the good practices adopted by companies to protect their workers' hearing and urge more companies to do the same:
Measure workplace noise
Workplace noise monitoring determines noise levels in the work environment to assess if workers are at risk of hearing loss.
- Conduct a site walkabout to identify noisy equipment, tools and work processes. Common sources of noise at workplaces include:
Engage a competent person (i.e. a noise monitoring officer) to measure:
- Noise levels emitted by the noisy equipment, tools and work processes; and
- Noise exposure (e.g. using personal dosimetry) of any worker exposed to excessive noise.
Develop action plans based on the noise monitoring report:
- Implement noise reduction measure(s) for each identified noise source.
- Designate each identified noisy work area as a “hearing protector zone” with warning signs displayed.
- Send workers identified to be exposed to excessive noise for yearly audiometric examination.
Manage workplace noise levels
Reduce a worker’s exposure to noise and prevent NID by implementing these noise control measures:
Examples of noise reduction measures implemented by companies
Monitor workers’ hearing through audiometric examinations
Audiometric examinations are hearing tests to determine if a worker has normal hearing, early NID or advanced NID. Yearly audiometric examinations allow for early NID detection, so that immediate intervention can be carried out to prevent further hearing loss.
- Send new hires for audiometric examination before or within three months of starting employment.
- Send existing workers who are exposed to excessive noise for yearly audiometric examinations.
Confirm that the hearing tests are carried out by trained personnel in an audiometric booth. For more accurate results, limit the worker’s exposure to noise for at least 16 hours before the hearing test.
Support workers diagnosed with occupational NID:
- Provide them with suitable hearing protectors and remind them to wear them.
- Redeploy them to less noisy work activities and/or reduce their time spent in noisy work environments.
- Arrange additional follow up audiometric examinations and consultations as deemed necessary by the doctor.
Note that employers are required to submit an incident report to MOM for each worker diagnosed with occupational NID
