ID :
40940
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 11:07
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/40940
The shortlink copeid
IAF personnel facing hearing loss at work
New Delhi, Jan 15 (PTI) Indian Air Force personnel performing ground duties at its airports are becoming victims of hearing impairment due to exposure to high pitched volumes emanating from aircraft engines, a study by air force doctors suggests.
The condition known as Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)
is getting common among personnel, who themselves are not
aware that they are slowly inching close to deafness as a
result the complaints seldom reach medical attendants, the
study found.
The study, conducted by Lt Col Satish and AVM RC
Kashyap, has been published in the latest edition of the
journal Indian Society of Aerospace medicine.
The findings were based on the study of 229 air force
personnel in which scientists recorded sound levels at on-duty
and off-duty hours. They found that maximum noise level at the
time of taxing and take off of the aircraft was 109.3 decibel.
The noise levels recorded in this study showed an
average minimum level of 34 decibel during off-duty hours.
"Modern day aircraft and machinery have much greater
noise potential especially with the jet efflux and sonic
booms, which results in increase in sound energy at higher
frequencies," researchers say.
The doctors concluded that the maximum noise level
exceeded the safe limit indicating that the noise environment
was hazardous with the potential for adverse effects on the
hearing of personnel.
The study team found that 18.8 personnel personnel were
showing hearing problems even at speech frequencies. About 57
per cent of the personnel showed hearing problems at higher
frequency of six kilohertz which according to the team
indicated that these personnel were also inching towards
further hearing loss.
Not only the tarmac, the study team found that noise
levels at other places of the air force base like the
workshop, hangar and the Air Traffic Control were also above
the safety limits.
According to World Health Organisation, if an individual
has been exposed to 41-60 decibels of sound, it would lead to
moderate impairment and the person would be able to hear and
speak words spoken in raised voice at one metre.
If exposed to 61-80 decibels, it would lead to severe
impairment and the person might be able to hear some words
when shouted into better ear.
And if exposed 81 decibels or greater, the person may
suffer from profound impairment including deafness and he
would be unable to hear and understand even after shouting.
PTI SWT
The condition known as Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)
is getting common among personnel, who themselves are not
aware that they are slowly inching close to deafness as a
result the complaints seldom reach medical attendants, the
study found.
The study, conducted by Lt Col Satish and AVM RC
Kashyap, has been published in the latest edition of the
journal Indian Society of Aerospace medicine.
The findings were based on the study of 229 air force
personnel in which scientists recorded sound levels at on-duty
and off-duty hours. They found that maximum noise level at the
time of taxing and take off of the aircraft was 109.3 decibel.
The noise levels recorded in this study showed an
average minimum level of 34 decibel during off-duty hours.
"Modern day aircraft and machinery have much greater
noise potential especially with the jet efflux and sonic
booms, which results in increase in sound energy at higher
frequencies," researchers say.
The doctors concluded that the maximum noise level
exceeded the safe limit indicating that the noise environment
was hazardous with the potential for adverse effects on the
hearing of personnel.
The study team found that 18.8 personnel personnel were
showing hearing problems even at speech frequencies. About 57
per cent of the personnel showed hearing problems at higher
frequency of six kilohertz which according to the team
indicated that these personnel were also inching towards
further hearing loss.
Not only the tarmac, the study team found that noise
levels at other places of the air force base like the
workshop, hangar and the Air Traffic Control were also above
the safety limits.
According to World Health Organisation, if an individual
has been exposed to 41-60 decibels of sound, it would lead to
moderate impairment and the person would be able to hear and
speak words spoken in raised voice at one metre.
If exposed to 61-80 decibels, it would lead to severe
impairment and the person might be able to hear some words
when shouted into better ear.
And if exposed 81 decibels or greater, the person may
suffer from profound impairment including deafness and he
would be unable to hear and understand even after shouting.
PTI SWT
