HEARING LOSS PREVENTION

Noise-induced hearing loss continues to be a major concern for farmers in the Midwest.  Below are materials that help explain how this type of hearing loss happens and what you can do to prevent it.

Page Resources

Click on a resource type below to jump to that section on this page.

Fact Sheets
Displays
Handouts
Posters
Hearing Loss Simulation
Interactive Activities & Teaching Tools
Media
Pilot Research
Scientific Publications

Hearing Loss Prevention Resources

Fact Sheets

Hearing loss among farmers and agricultural workers – Why farmers and ag workers should be concerned about hearing loss

Displays – Three Panels

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 24×36″ pdf of each display panel, or click here to download all three

    

Handouts

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 4″x9″ printer-friendly version of the handouts

Handout explaining why hearing loss is a problem for farmers and some noises on the farm are loud enough to cause hearing loss (front). (Back) Chart showing noise levels of a variety of farm equipment and environments, and how long it is safe to be in or near them without hearing protection. Below the chart is a list of tips that can help prevent hearing loss. Handout explaining why hearing loss is a problem for farmers and some noises on the farm are loud enough to cause hearing loss (front). (Back) Chart showing noise levels of a variety of farm equipment and environments, and how long it is safe to be in or near them without hearing protection. Below the chart is a list of tips that can help prevent hearing loss. Handout explaining why hearing loss is a problem for farmers and some noises on the farm are loud enough to cause hearing loss (front). (Back) Chart showing noise levels of a variety of farm equipment and environments, and how long it is safe to be in or near them without hearing protection. Below the chart is a list of tips that can help prevent hearing loss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handout showing the pros and cons of different types of hearing protection on the front. On the back, it shows how to properly insert formable ear plugs. Child-friendly handout explaining why you should protect your ears and types of noises that can damage your hearing. On the back, there is a chart showing the sound level for several types of farm equipment and environments, and simple things you can do to prevent hearing loss.Handout explaining why hearing loss is a problem for farmers and some noises on the farm are loud enough to cause hearing loss (front). (Back) Chart showing noise levels of a variety of farm equipment and environments, and how long it is safe to be in or near them without hearing protection. Below the chart is a list of tips that can help prevent hearing loss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 Click on the thumbnail below to open a 2″x6″ printer-friendly version of the bookmark

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Posters

Click on the thumbnails below to open an 11″x17″ .jpg version of each poster. You may choose the GPCAH version or a version with room to add your organization’s logo. If you do add your own logo to the poster, please let us know how you are using it by emailing us at cph-greatplainscenter@uiowa.edu. Rules for co-branding are available here.

GPCAH logo only

   Poster showing common farm equipment and tools with average noise level in decibels and maximum time it is safe to be near that noise level without hearing protection Poster showing the levels of hearing loss, how they affect daily activities, and the sounds that are lost at each level.

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Co-branding with room to add your own logo

Hearing Loss Simulation

HLSim Hearing loss simulator – NIOSH PC-based hearing loss simulator (free for download)

HLSim Quick reference handout – handout describing installation and key features of HLSim

HLSim interactive activities handout – experiential learning scenarios for use with HLSim

Audio recordings – voice recordings and agricultural sounds for use in hearing loss simulators

Interactive Activities & Teaching Tools

Youth hair cell model activity – hands-on activity using pipe-cleaners to model how hair cells are damaged. Can be used during the Youth Hearing loss prevention presentation.

Youth hearing loss prevention presentation – short presentation for elementary students in the classroom or participants at an Ag Safety Day.  Includes embedded video and activities.

Youth hearing loss prevention script – suggested script to go with the Youth hearing loss prevention presentation

Middle school hearing loss prevention presentation – short presentation for middle school students in the classroom or for 4-H or FFA groups.  Includes embedded video and activities.

Middle school hearing loss prevention script – suggested script to go with the Middle school hearing loss prevention presentation

Middle school hearing loss prevention activities – facilitator instructions and student worksheets for three hearing-related activities

Media

Hearing protection never too early or too late – Stephanie Leonard and Fred Gerr, Iowa Farmer Today, February 2015

Pilot Research

    • 2015: Increasing the use of hearing protection among young adult swine confinement workers. J Rudolphi, D Rohlman, University of Iowa, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health
    • 2015: Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) Simulation and Hearing Protection Device Fit Testing. J Gibbs, M Cheyney, University of Iowa, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health
    • 2013: Evaluation of Technology-based Interventions to Increase the Use of Hearing Protection among Adolescent Farmworkers in Iowa. K Khan, D Rohlman, S Tonelli, University of Iowa, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Iowa City, IA; A Winborn, Greater Johnson County Rural Health and Safety Clinic (RHSC)
    • 2008: Development of a task-based noise exposure database for agricultural grain farming operations, M Humann, UI DOEH, Iowa City
    • 2007: Evaluating noise exposures of rural youth. M Humann, University of Iowa (UI) Department of Occupational and Environmental Health (DOEH), Iowa City

Scientific Publications

Sprince N, Park H, Zwerling C, Lynch C, Whitten P, Thu K, Burmeister L, Gillette P, Alavanja, M (2003). Risk factors for animal-related injury among Iowa large-livestock farmers: a case-control study nested in the Agricultural Health Study.  Journal of Rural Health. 19(2): 165-73. [PMID: 12696853]

Additional Resources: Hearing Loss Prevention

Ag Health 101

Unit 4. Hearing Protection

This unit was designed to help you understand how a lifetime of noise exposure results in hearing loss, which is not unique to farmers but which is important because there has been historically low adoption of hearing protection by farmers.  You will understand how to measure and interpret sound levels from smartphone apps, understand options to reduce exposures on the farm, and understand how to select and use hearing protection. Importantly, we have information about having conversations with farmers about the risk of hearing loss on the farm.  This unit has a “bonus chapter” if you like math and want to know how to assess a full 8-hour exposure from noise samples on the farm, to take your working knowledge to the next level.

Listen to the audio lessons from Unit 4 of Ag Health 101, or view the Unit Summary pages on Hearing Protection, for more information on this topic.

Unit 4: Audio Lessons
Unit 4: Unit Summary
Unit 6: Confined Spaces

FarmSafe Podcast

S2E18 | When is Noise Too Loud?

Make some noise for Dr. Tom Peters! You guessed it — today’s episode is on hearing protection. We also speak with Marsha Cheyney as well who works for the Great Plains Center.

Episode Page