Introduction
The world in which we live is becoming an increasingly noisy one, particularly in developing countries where rapid population growth and heavy industrialisation is leading to an increase in daily noise levels. This increase in noise levels may seem to some as just an accepted part of life, but unfortunately these increases, particularly in the average working environment, can lead to lasting health issues.
According to the HCN (1999) and as cited by the WHO (2004), high levels of noise can have a number of impact on the health and general wellbeing of individuals with annoyance, hypertension and hearing loss being the effects most studied.
This article will focus primarily on hearing loss as caused by long term exposure to noise in the workplace, the impacts that hearing loss can have on daily life and the measures and equipment that can be employed to minimise its occurrence. Continue reading “The Importance of Hearing Protection”
