Julie Depczynski, Tony Lower, Lyn Fragar ACAHS

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Farm noise and hearing loss An overview
Julie Depczynski, Tony Lower, Lyn Fragar
(ACAHS) Kathy Challinor (HNEAHS) Projects
periodically funded by NSW Health, RIRDC and the
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
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Background

• Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and
  Safety , School of Pubic Health, University of
  Sydney. Operations Centre for Farmsafe
  Australia.
• Farmsafe Australia - national association of
  organisations with a vision for Productive
  Australian farms free of health and safety risk
• Farmsafe members include NFF, ASCC, CWA, AWIA,
  MUARC, TMA, MTA state farmsafe and workplace
  health organisations ( others)
• Research underpins promotion projects and
  advocacy
• Establish farm health and injury profiles and
  review evidence on effective solutions
• Work with other agencies and networks to
  implement strategic health and safety programs
  with farmers

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ACAHS / Farmsafe approach

• Populations at risk - children and young people,
  adults undertaking farm work, older farmers,
  Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander workers
• Key safety hazards - ATV s, tractors,
  machinery, workshops, vehicles
• Improved farm safety risk management systems
  relevant to specific industries - sheep and wool,
  dairy, grains, cotton, sugar cane, beef cattle
  and horticulture production (MFS)

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Farm noise and hearing loss

• Farm noise and hearing loss
• 1. Population at risk -
• Adults undertaking farm work
• 2. Key safety hazards
• Firearms, tractors, machinery, chainsaws
  workshop tools
• 3. Farm safety systems
• Noise integral part of farm safety risk
  management.

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Hearing loss in adults undertaking farm work

• 1. Population at risk working adults
• Hearing screening of 6000 farmers at
  agricultural field days show
• Around 2/3 had a measurable hearing loss
  (compared to 22-27 of the general population)
• Around 2/3 have trouble hearing with background
  noise
• Around 1/4 - 1/3 have trouble hearing on the
  phone
• Left ears more often affected
• Around 1/2 reported tinnitus

Hearing Screening Programs ACAHS, HNEAHS
1994-2008)
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Farm noise hazards

• 2. Common noise hazards on farm
• firearms
• tractors with / without cabins
• heavy machinery
• workshop tools
• chainsaws and small motors
• Other factors to consider
• Age of machinery
• Cabins vs. no cabins
• Radios
• Others in the farm workplace bystanders
  children

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Farm noise management prevention

• 3. Systematic approach to reduce noise
  hearing risk
• Eliminate the Hazard (?)
• Buy quieter alternatives
• Engineering / Design options
• Safe work practices
• Personal Hearing Protection (PHP)

• Ways to Reduce Farm Noise Hearing Risk
• 1. Eliminate the Hazard
• can the job be done without the hazard?
• 2. Buy quiet
• Buy quieter alternatives when the time comes to
  replace machinery (eg. cabined tractors)
• 3. Engineering/Design options
• Install mufflers on old equipment
• Rearrange workshop layout to dissipate noise
• Noise insulation or barriers
• 4. Safe work practises
• Regularly maintain equipment (eg. seals, engines,
  mufflers)
• Avoid noise stand further away to supervise
• Limit time exposure in one day rotate tasks
• 5. Wear Personal Hearing Protection (PPE or PHP)
• If around noise, you have to raise your voice to
  be heard by someone 1m away
• When the noise level is greater then 85dB (A)
• Ear muffs or ear plugs either are effective
• Provide hearing protection and information on
  noise to workers

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Farm noise management examples

• Engineering / Design options
• Install mufflers on old equipment
• Rearrange workshop to dissipate noise
• Noise insulation or barriers
• Safe work practices
• Regularly maintain equipment (eg. seals,
  engines, mufflers)
• Avoid noise stand further away
• Limit exposure rotate tasks

• Ways to Reduce Farm Noise Hearing Risk
• 1. Eliminate the Hazard
• can the job be done without the hazard?
• 2. Buy quiet
• Buy quieter alternatives when the time comes to
  replace machinery (eg. cabined tractors)
• 3. Engineering/Design options
• Install mufflers on old equipment
• Rearrange workshop layout to dissipate noise
• Noise insulation or barriers
• 4. Safe work practises
• Regularly maintain equipment (eg. seals, engines,
  mufflers)
• Avoid noise stand further away to supervise
• Limit time exposure in one day rotate tasks
• 5. Wear Personal Hearing Protection (PPE or PHP)
• If around noise, you have to raise your voice to
  be heard by someone 1m away
• When the noise level is greater then 85dB (A)
• Ear muffs or ear plugs either are effective
• Provide hearing protection and information on
  noise to workers

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Farm noise management examples

• Use of Personal Hearing Protection (PHP)
• Always when using firearms
• Ballpark- if you have to raise your voice to be
  heard 1m away
• If noise greater than 80-85dB (A)
• Ear muffs or ear plugs
• Provide hearing protection and information on
  noise to workers

Level of hearing protection ?

• Ways to Reduce Farm Noise Hearing Risk
• 1. Eliminate the Hazard
• can the job be done without the hazard?
• 2. Buy quiet
• Buy quieter alternatives when the time comes to
  replace machinery (eg. cabined tractors)
• 3. Engineering/Design options
• Install mufflers on old equipment
• Rearrange workshop layout to dissipate noise
• Noise insulation or barriers
• 4. Safe work practises
• Regularly maintain equipment (eg. seals, engines,
  mufflers)
• Avoid noise stand further away to supervise
• Limit time exposure in one day rotate tasks
• 5. Wear Personal Hearing Protection (PPE or PHP)
• If around noise, you have to raise your voice to
  be heard by someone 1m away
• When the noise level is greater then 85dB (A)
• Ear muffs or ear plugs either are effective
• Provide hearing protection and information on
  noise to workers

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Farm noise and hearing health promotion

• Information from ACAHS - HNEAHS hearing programs
  used to
• Develop guidance material on farm noise injury
  prevention for farmers and hearing programs
• Support high priority given to advice re
  firearms, chainsaws and un-cabined tractors
• Support community based action
• Advise a National Strategy

• Ways to Reduce Farm Noise Hearing Risk
• 1. Eliminate the Hazard
• can the job be done without the hazard?
• 2. Buy quiet
• Buy quieter alternatives when the time comes to
  replace machinery (eg. cabined tractors)
• 3. Engineering/Design options
• Install mufflers on old equipment
• Rearrange workshop layout to dissipate noise
• Noise insulation or barriers
• 4. Safe work practises
• Regularly maintain equipment (eg. seals, engines,
  mufflers)
• Avoid noise stand further away to supervise
• Limit time exposure in one day rotate tasks
• 5. Wear Personal Hearing Protection (PPE or PHP)
• If around noise, you have to raise your voice to
  be heard by someone 1m away
• When the noise level is greater then 85dB (A)
• Ear muffs or ear plugs either are effective
• Provide hearing protection and information on
  noise to workers

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Farm noise and hearing health promotion

• Resources for farmers promoted by
• Hearing health professionals
• nurse audiometrists, audiologists
• Farm safety networks at state and community level
  
• Website
• Integrated farm safety management courses
  resources
• Community based projects

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Better Hearing for Farm Families Project
Community-based project in 3 NSW rural
communities, aimed to improve awareness, access,
networking of services to promoted hearing
health.

• Local advisory groups planned developed local
  interventions
• Local media promotion
• Direct mailouts- ag retailers
• Training days service sector
• Fly-around screenings (RFDS)
• Mobile audiometry booth
• Social network analysis
• AHS nurse audiometrists, private audiometry
  services, WorkCover, GP, ENT, ag retailers

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Project recommendations

• Revise Farmsafe Noise Injury Prevention Strategy
  for the Australian Farming Community
• Increase awareness of high risk hazards, noise
  management assistive devices for hearing loss
• Improve access / availability of screening in
  rural remote areas, requiring a re-assessment
  of screening delivery systems
• Audiometry services
• Incentives for screening
• Promote initial self checks
• eg. Telscreen II (1800 826 500)
• ? Others internet

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Project Recommendations

• Scope to integrate hearing health with other
  projects / agencies who work with farmers (eg. ag
  retailers, farmer associations, W/Cover local
  community groups ).
• Maintain linkages with research policy
  initiatives (eg. NAL, PHPs)
• At local level, undertake community assessments
  to define networks and gaps in information and
  service provision (eg. agricultural retailers)

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Problems and solutions

• High levels of measurable hearing loss in farmers
  impacting on communication daily functioning
• Affects working adults, in small family
  businesses, who are asset rich but cash poor .
• . No company workplace screening
• ..Ineligibility for subsidised services
• Problems with access / availability of hearing
  services in rural areas
• Productivity losses - links with hearing loss
  but financial pressures / debt often mean farmers
  cant just stop working ? links to
  stress, depression high suicide rates in
  farmers
• We know the problem and some of the solutions.
  But we need resources to drive a collaborative,
  co-ordinated strategic effort.