Citation

Adams KL, Brazile WJ. J. Occup. Env. Hyg. 2016; 14(2): 104-112.

Affiliation

a Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences , Colorado State University , Fort Collins , CO.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15459624.2016.1225158

PMID

27540829

Abstract

Noise exposure and hearing thresholds of indoor hockey officials of the Western States Hockey League were measured to assess the impact of hockey game noise on hearing sensitivity. Twenty-nine hockey officials who officiated the league in an arena in southeastern Wyoming in October, November and December 2014 participated in the study. Personal noise dosimetry was conducted to determine if officials were exposed to an equivalent sound pressure level greater than 85 dBA. Hearing thresholds were measured before and after hockey games to determine if a 10 dB or greater temporary threshold shift in hearing occurred. Pure-tone audiometry was conducted in both ears at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 Hz. All noise exposures were greater than 85 dBA, with a mean personal noise exposure level of 93 dBA (SD = 2.2), providing 17.7% (SD = 6.3) of the officials' daily noise dose according to the OSHA criteria. Hearing threshold shifts of 10 dB or greater were observed in 86.2% (25/29) of officials, with 36% (9/25) of those threshold shifts equaling 15 dB or greater. The largest proportion of hearing threshold shifts occurred at 4000 Hz, comprising 35.7% of right ear shifts and 31.8% of left ear shifts. The differences between the pre- and post-game hearing thresholds were statistically significant (p<0.05) in the left ear at 500 Hz and in both ears at 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz. Although not statistically significant (p>0.05), for each additional one dB increase of equivalent sound pressure level, the odds of a ≥ 10 dB TTS are increased in the left ear at 500, 3000, 4000 and 8000 Hz and in the right ear at 6000 and 8000 Hz. These findings suggest that indoor hockey officials are exposed to hazardous levels of noise, experience temporary hearing loss after officiating games, and a hearing conservation program is warranted. Further temporary threshold shift research has the potential to identify officials of other sporting events that are at an increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

Language: en