Hearing loss among miners claiming compensation.
Otological and audiological evaluations were performed on 278 miners claiming compensation for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Of the total sample, 28.7% had to be excluded as cases of nonmining NIHL. Of the cases of diagnosed as NIHL, approximately 50% showed an actual hearing impairment as based on a low fence of 25 dB for the average hearing levels at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz, and 63% as based on the average hearing levels at 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 kHz for exposures of 15 to 49 years. No significant difference in NIHL was apparent except at 2 kHz between subjects exposed to intermittent vs intermittent-continuous noise. It was difficult to differentiate NIHL from sensorineural losses of other causes and impossible to apply an adequate correction factor for presbycusis.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001194:Asbestos; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D014942:Workers' Compensation
D008670:Metals; D001194:Asbestos