Survey of industrial noise in Port Elizabeth

The amendment to the Factories, Machinery and Building Work Act of 1941 in regard to hearing conservation is outlined. A survey by the Port Elizabeth Deaf Association on workmen from Cadbury (Pty) Ltd was undertaken in 1973 and on a second group in 1974 and the results are published and discussed. Although the numbers of workmen were small, the results suggest that widespread testing will unearth many cases of unsuspected hearing loss. The implications as applied to industry at large are discussed and the difficulties in adequately assessing large numbers of workmen with adequately trained audiometric testers are stressed. A suggestion is made that mobile clinics under the control of Chambers of Industries would be the most efficient way of approaching the screening problem, and an estimated cost structure in the setting up of such a clinic is introduced.