Arildsenstevens1124

While these studies indicate that middle ear pathologies exist in individuals working in mines, the evidence is limited. CONCLUSION While current data indicate that individuals working in mines may present with middle ear pathologies of varying severities, the evidence is too small to provide a clear trend of middle ear pathologies in individuals working in mines. Therefore, the current limited data suggest a need for further studies to examine middle ear pathologies in individuals working in mines.The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of occupational health practitioners (OHPs) regarding education and training of mineworkers on occupational noise induced hearing loss (ONIHL) and its impact on mineworkers' health. Qualitative, in-depth telephonic and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 16 OHPs. Purposive and snowball sampling was utilized to recruit participants. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from the data seeing is believing, not my department, barriers and facilitators to raising awareness (with two subthemes -blame it on the language and level of education, and compensation pay-outs). Superficially, OHPs believe that mineworkers are aware of the impact of noise health, however, the OHPs are not knowledgeable on how the mineworkers are educated on ONIHL and its latent consequences. Furthermore, language, low levels of education and literacy, as well as financial constraints are factors found to affect education and training of the mineworkers about the risks of ONIHL. If the mining industry is committed in eliminating ONIHL, they should prioritize health literacy, and mines need to have an effective awareness raising plan in place at every mine. This plan should consider diversity of the workforce, including linguistic as well as educational level diversity.BACKGROUND Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is a complex, but preventable, health problem for South African miners. Meticulously collected data should be made use of to design interventions to address this health issue. OBJECTIVES A single mine's electronic data were reviewed in a secondary data review to determine, from the records, factors that hearing conservation practitioners deemed useful for identifying 'at risk' miners and to establish factors that would pave the way for the integration of the 2014 hearing conservation programme (HCP) milestones into the mine's current proactive data management system (PDMS). The objectives of this article were to establish how miners with published risk factors associated with ONIHL were managed by the mine's hearing conservation practitioners as part of the HCP; to determine if the mine's hearing conservation practitioners could estimate miners' risk of ONIHL using baseline percentage loss of hearing (PLH) as a hearing conservation measure; and to estnodeficiency syndrome is recommended, as these are important risk indicators for developing ONIHL, particularly within the South African context.BACKGROUND Occupational health laws must recognise the constitutional requirement of substantive equality, and its role in 'the progressive realisation' of the rights provided by Section 27. OBJECTIVES Our main aim is to review current South African occupational health law (vis-à-vis workers' constitutional rights) in relation to hearing loss. We focus on gaps in the law regarding occupational hearing loss in South Africa. METHOD Our review of legal texts relies on experience as a methodological device augmented by the use of a critical science. Guided by literature or evidence synthesis methodologies, South African primary and secondary laws were reviewed along with unpublished (non-peer-reviewed) grey literature. An established six-step framework guided our thematic analysis. A semantic approach aided the critical interpretation of data using the Bill of Rights as a core analytical framework. RESULTS Four themes are discussed (1) separate and unequal regulatory frameworks; (2) monologic foregrounding of noise; (3) minimisation of vestibular disorders; and (4) dilution of ototoxic agents. The highly divided legal framework of occupational health and safety in South Africa perpetuates a monologic 'excessive noise-hearing loss' paradigm that has implications for the rights of all workers to equal protections and benefits. RO4929097 There is a need to harmonise occupational health and safety law, and expand the scope of hearing-protection legislation to include the full range of established ototoxic hazards. CONCLUSION Occupational audiology is dominated by efforts to address noise-induced hearing loss. A 'noise' despite the reality of workers' exposures to a range of ototoxic stressors that act synergistically on the ear, resulting in audio-vestibular disorders.BACKGROUND A relationship exists between occupational noise exposure and age, which remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between hearing loss and age over time. METHOD Audiological data from 2583 mine workers in South Africa were utilised. Data were received from a non-noise exposed group (NNEG) (n = 951) and a noise exposed group (NEG) (≥85 dBA) (n = 1632). Data comprised a low-frequency average (LFA512) (average of audiological thresholds for 0.5 kHz, 1 kHz and 2 kHz) and high-frequency average (HFA346) (average of audiological thresholds for 3 kHz, 4 kHz and 6 kHz). Data were compared by using mixed-effects regression analysis. RESULTS Base threshold values were higher for the NEG than for the NNEG across frequencies. All year-to-year increases in mean hearing thresholds were statistically significant (p 0.01). When correcting for age, increases in mean hearing thresholds were higher for the NEG than for the NNEG for HFA346 (3.5 dB vs. 2.9 dB decline over a 4-year period) but similar for LFA512 (0.6 dB vs. 0.7 dB decline). Uncorrected for age, increases in mean hearing thresholds were higher than when age was corrected for. CONCLUSION Age and occupational noise exposure influence hearing thresholds over time. The continued increase in hearing thresholds of the NEG above that of the NNEG can be related to ineffective noise management programmes and/or the fact that early noise exposure leads to a higher burden of hearing loss over time - even after noise exposure had stopped.