Abstract
In recent years more attention has been given to live noise as a possible cause of occupational hearing loss (OHL). One of the working environments where this may occur is the indoor swimming pool. Noise surveys have shown a regular occurrence of hazardous noise levels in these pools. In the framework of the 'Health and Safety Covenant Recreation Industry' we performed a cross-sectional study of OHL among pool staff. Analysis of the audiograms of 53 swimming instructors, with at least ten years work experience and a blank otological history, showed hearing impairment to be much more prevalent than expected. This study thus provides a clear indication that prolonged exposure to noise in indoor pools may cause hearing loss. To our knowledge, this is the first published study indicating that OHL is mainly attributable to live noise. An advisory report was formulated containing suggestions for controlling noise levels in indoor swimming pools.
| Translated title of the contribution | Occupational hearing loss in swimming instructors |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 16-20 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Tijdschrift voor Bedrijfs- en Verzekeringsgeneeskunde |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |