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Occupational noise exposure in the printing industry
1New York State Department of Labor, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Brooklyn 11220.
American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Many printing production workers face significant noise exposure risks. Over 40% exceeded 85 dBA, with 14% over 90 dBA, increasing occupational hearing loss potential.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Industrial Hygiene
- Audiology
Background:
- Noise exposure is a significant risk factor for occupational hearing loss.
- The printing industry involves various machinery that can generate high noise levels.
- Understanding specific noise exposure levels is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify noise exposures for printing production workers in the New York City area.
- To identify departments and job roles with the highest noise exposures.
- To assess the risk of occupational hearing loss within this industry.
Main Methods:
- Noise monitoring was conducted for 274 workers across 34 printing establishments.
- Eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) noise exposures were measured.
- Data were analyzed to compare exposure levels between different departments (press vs. bindery) and job types (web vs. sheetfed press).
Main Results:
- 43% of workers experienced 8-hour TWA noise exposures of 85 dBA or higher.
- 14% of workers were exposed to 8-hour TWAs of 90 dBA or higher.
- Bindery workers generally had higher potentially harmful noise exposures than press department workers, with web press workers exposed to higher levels than sheetfed press workers.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of printing production workers are exposed to noise levels that pose a risk of occupational hearing loss.
- Specific departments and roles within the printing industry require targeted noise control interventions.
- Further research is recommended to determine the prevalence and extent of hearing impairment in this workforce.
