Background: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the oldest and most important occupational diseases arising from long-term exposure to unauthorized noise levels. Another non auditory health effects with a deleterious repercussion on workers' health can also be reported due to noise.
Objectives: To measure the prevalence of auditory and non-auditory health effects among workers exposed to noise in aluminum industry in Dubai
Subjects & methods: A cross sectional study was conducted using stratified random sampling technique. Two groups were selected according to noise level exposure. An interview questionnaire, otoscopic examination, blood pressure, pulse rate and lipid profile measurements were performed. Sound level meter was used to measure environmental noise at different work sites.
Results: The study showed that plant workers had significantly about 2.5 times the risk of developing hearing loss compared with administration workers with prevalence of 8.5% hearing loss among plant workers and 3.5% among administration workers. There were high threshold levels of hearing at high frequency levels (3000, 4000 and 6000 Hz) in both ears among plant workers compared with administration workers. Age of worker and level of noise exposure at work site was proved to be the most significant predictor of hearing loss. Exposure to non occupational loud sounds was proved to have a significant effect on the development of NIHL. Headache due to noise and pulse rate were significantly related to noise level exposure. Plant workers showed significantly higher blood pressure level, mean total cholesterol level and LDL level than administration group.
Conclusion: Work site noise at aluminum industry was found to have deleterious auditory and non auditory health effects on workers. Some recommendations were raised to decrease the high noise level.
Cite this paper
EM., E. , HY., H. , AM., A. , AS., W. , WH, A. and NH, M. (2014). Work site noise and some of its related health problems among workers in Aluminum Industry, Dubai. Open Access Library PrePrints, 1, e009. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.preprints.1200009.
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