OCCUPATIONAL NOISE-INDUCED HEARING LOSS IN POLAND: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND  STATISTICS THROUGHOUT 1999 - 2008

Sulkowski WJ (1), Szymczak W (2).

(1) Clinic of  Occupational Diseases and Toxicology; (2) Department of Environmental Epidemiology. Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland.

Background. It is commonly known that a long-term and everyday repeated exposure to noise levels exceeding 85 dB-A may result in hearing impairment traditionally called the chronic acoustic trauma,recognized in the all EU countries as the compensable occupational disease. Accordingly to the latest estimations about 500 000 workers employed in noisy plants are put at risk in Poland. The aim of this study was to present the most recent data on the incidence of  occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) which could be used for implementing the suitable prophylactic undertakings.

Methods. The data were derived from the state register  of the all prescribed occupational diseases and individual files of subjects with diagnosed ONIHL were statistically analysed concerning the worker's age, duration of  exposure,industrial branch and geographic location of workplace.

Results and conclusions. The highest indices of the ONIHL were found in employees of coal mining,iron and steel,metallurgical and transport equipment industries,mainly in the southern and western provinces,known for a large concentration of noisy enterprises. The most affected have appeared the workers aged 50-59 years and these exposed to noise for over 20 years.Since the beginning of 1999 the rate of ONIHL amounting earlier to about 36 new cases annually per 100 000 employees has significantly decreased to 19 cases per year.

One may presume that introduction of the obligatory pre-employment and follow up audiometric examinations in 1999 has influenced the change for the better.

Acknowledgement. This work was supported in part by research grant No 1631/B/PO1/2008/34 from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education

E-mail: sulkowki@imp.lodz.pl