Nearly One-Quarter of Workers Exposed to Noise Report Hearing Loss

Twenty-three percent of workers exposed to occupational noise report having difficulty hearing, a rate that is more than three times that of employees not exposed to workplace noise, according to a new report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. And 15% of those in the noise-exposed group said they experienced ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus, compared to 5% in the group not exposed to workplace noise. Nine percent of employees exposed to workplace noise said they had both conditions, compared to 2% in the group not exposed to workplace noise. The statis...