Hearing protection devices: Use at work predicts use at play
Elizabeth Francis Beach1,2, Megan Gilliver1,2, Warwick Williams1,2
1a National Acoustic Laboratories, Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health
|March 2, 2016
Summary
Hearing protection device (HPD) use is common in leisure, especially for those using them at work. Workplace HPD users are up to 5 times more likely to use them during leisure activities.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Occupational Health
- Leisure Noise Exposure
Background:
- Hearing protection device (HPD) use is well-researched in occupational settings.
- Limited data exists on HPD usage patterns in high-noise leisure activities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hearing protection device (HPD) use in Australian leisure settings.
- To identify predictors of HPD use during leisure activities, including age, gender, workplace HPD use, and tinnitus.
Main Methods:
- An online survey was administered to 8,144 Australians.
- The survey collected data on HPD use in both work and leisure environments.
- Statistical analysis examined the relationship between demographic factors, workplace HPD use, tinnitus, and leisure HPD use.
Main Results:
- Leisure-based HPD use was most prevalent during activities with high noise risk.
- Workplace HPD use significantly predicted leisure HPD use (odds ratio up to 5).
- Men and individuals with tinnitus showed higher likelihoods of leisure HPD use. Age influenced specific leisure activities.
Conclusions:
- Workplace hearing protection habits strongly influence leisure-time HPD adoption.
- Targeted hearing conservation strategies may be needed for specific demographics and leisure activities.
- Understanding leisure HPD use is crucial for comprehensive hearing health initiatives.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Personal Protective Equipment
2.5K
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is unique clothing or equipment worn by an employee to minimize or prevent exposure to infectious agents. PPE creates a barrier between the employee and the infectious materials. PPE must be readily available in the patient care area. PPE includes gloves, gowns and aprons, masks and respirators, goggles, face shields, shoes, and headcovers:
2.5K
01:22PPE Use in Healthcare Settings I: Donning
1.9K
Donning PPE must be completed before contact with the patient. This process protects from infectious agents. The sequence and action included in each donning are critical, and the steps must be systematic to avoid exposure to pathogens. The institutional policy also needs to be followed while donning PPE. The pre-donning preparations are gathering equipment, inspecting the PPE equipment for tears, holes, or damage, removing jewelry, removing any garments below the elbows, and tying the hair...
1.9K
01:10PPE Use in Healthcare Settings II: Doffing
1.7K
The sequence of removing or doffing PPE starts with the gloves, as they are the most contaminated. Next is removal of the face shield or goggles, as they would interfere with removing other PPE. Then remove the gown, followed by the mask or respirator. Perform hand hygiene between steps if hands become contaminated and immediately after removing all PPE. Generally, the outside front and sleeves of the isolation gown, the goggles or the mask, the respirator, and the face shield are contaminated.
1.7K
01:08The Availability Heuristic
7.3K
A heuristic is a general problem-solving framework (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). You can think of these as mental shortcuts that are used to solve problems. Different types of heuristics are used in different types of situations, and the impulse to use a heuristic occurs when one of five conditions is met (Pratkanis, 1989):
7.3K
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
2.2K
Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
2.2K
01:31Hearing
58.6K
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
58.6K