Hearing conservation in high risk industries: Compliance with, and barriers to best practice in, workplace noise control

The last omnibus report on noise in New Zealand workplaces was carried out in 1984 when 15,957 workers in high noise-risk areas showed 6,493 (40%) were actually exposed above the exposure standard of 85 dB(A) and of the 3,700 (23%) who had audiometric screening, 15% had evidence (a loss at 4 kHz of 35 dB hearing at age 25 or 50 or more at any age) of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).1 A recent review showed that the numbers of new claims incurring a cost to ACC in 2005-6 (5,580 cases) were approximately double the figure in 1995-1996 (2,823), and the costs of NIHL have been estimated as NZ$198.32 million since 1995.2 Despite knowledge of effective controls since the mid-80s, there is no evidence that the prevalence of the condition is decreasing.