title: Noise exposure among federal wildland fire fighters.
abstract: Wildland fire fighters use many tools and equipment that produce noise levels that may be considered hazardous to hearing. This study evaluated 174 personal dosimetry measurements on 156 wildland fire fighters conducting various training and fire suppression tasks. Noise exposures often exceeded occupational exposure limits and suggest that wildland fire fighters may be at risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss, particularly those operating chainsaws, chippers, and masticators. The authors recommend a comprehensive approach to protecting these fire fighters that includes purchasing quieter equipment, noise and administrative controls, and enrolling these fire fighters into a hearing conservation program.
authors.affiliation: Technology and Development Program, USDA Forest Service, Boise, Idaho 83705, USA gbroyles@fs.fed.us.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Broyles
authors.affiliation: Western States Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Denver, Colorado 80225, USA crbutler@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Corey R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Research and Technology, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, USA ckardous@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Chucri A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kardous