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Occupational Medicine 52:75-79 (2002)
Copyright © 2002 Society of Occupational Medicine

Surveillance for work-related hearing loss in the UK: OSSA and OPRA 1997–2000

J. D. Meyer*,{ddagger}, Y. Chen*, J. C. McDonald{dagger} and N. M. Cherry*

*Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester, Humanities Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL; and
{dagger}Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6LY, UK
{ddagger}Current address: Division of Occupational/Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA

Abstract

Surveillance data on occupational audiological disorders have been collected by the Occupational Surveillance Scheme for Audiological Physicians (OSSA) since October 1997 and by the Occupational Physicians Reporting Activity (OPRA) from January 1996. During the 3 years ending in September 2000, a total of 1620 new cases were received from consultant audiological physicians; 988 new cases were estimated from reports by occupational physicians in the period from October 1997 to September 2000. The annual incidence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) was 1.94 and 1.23 per 100 000 workers for the OSSA and OPRA schemes, respectively. The median age at diagnosis with NIHL was 59 years in OSSA reports and 50 years in OPRA; nearly all cases were seen in men (95.6 and 92.5% male cases for OSSA and OPRA, respectively). High incidence rates based on OSSA reports were seen in foundry labourers (64.0 per 100 000 employed), coal gas and coke oven furnace workers (54.6), workers in transport and communication (43.1), metal workers (31.3), and members of the armed forces (28.3). Data from occupational physicians point to high rates in sawyers and woodworking machinists, metal furnace workers, coach and carriage builders, maintenance fitters, and engineering labourers. Among workers aged <=45 years, those in manufacturing and the armed forces were prominent. The long latency of occupational hearing loss makes surveillance difficult, but consistent patterns in occupational risk suggest targets for preventive efforts.

Keywords      Epidemiology; noise-induced hearing loss; occupational hearing loss; surveillance


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