SAN DIEGO, Calif. (RFD-TV) — Agricultural workers face high levels of occupational noise exposure, putting them at greater risk of hearing loss.
Professor Laura Coco with San Diego State University joined us on Wednesday’s Market Day Report during National Farm Safety and Health Week.
In her conversation with RFD-TV, Coco said her research found 63% of farmworkers studied had high-frequency hearing loss, compared with a national prevalence of around 40%. Noise measurements also found some farm tasks exceeded the recommended exposure level of 85 decibels.
Coco encouraged producers to measure noise levels and make hearing protection readily available near loud equipment. She said farms should also promote consistent use of protection and educate workers about preventing hearing loss.
For younger workers, Coco recommended properly fitted earmuffs when traditional earplugs are too large, while cautioning that hearing protection should still allow workers to hear communication and warning signals.
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