Efficacy of the U.S. Army policy on hearing conservation programs

Abstract

Changes in U.S. Army hearing conservation policy require that many previous non-noise hazardous areas be reclassified as noise hazardous and that employees in these areas be included in hearing conservation programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if a group of employees affected by this policy suffered occupational hearing loss between 1987 and 2001 while working in previously classified noise hazardous areas. The 45 subjects included in the study were demographically similar to the 211 from which they were selected. Differences between measured and predicted hearing thresholds in 1987 and in 2001 did not change significantly over the 15 years. Predicted noise-induced thresholds in 2001 calculated from average noise exposures were not clinically significant. It was concluded that these subjects were adequately protected from hearing loss under the previous classification criteria and application of the new criteria provided no additional benefit.