ABSTRACT

The din of noise emanating from industrial processes pervades many occupational settings, and its effects

on workers range from minor annoyance to major risk of hearing damage. Unfortunately, at least within

the current limits of technology, noise is a by-product of many industries, such as manufacturing,

especially those which use high-energy or impact processes such as metal cutting and mineral refinement,

and service-related industries, such as air transport, construction, and farming. Workers complain about

the negative effects of noise on their abilities to communicate, hear warning and other signals, and

concentrate on tasks at hand. However, the effect that has been of most concern to industry has been

permanent noise-induced hearing loss, or NIHL.