Noise effects on hospital laundry workers? hearing

Purpose to carry out a characterize the hearing profile of workers from a hospital laundry. Method crosscut study, with 95 workers, males and females, age averaging 38.23, held at the laundry of a public hospital located in the city of Curitiba, Parana State/Brazil. Documental laundry analysis was carried out (Medical Control and Occupational Health Program and Environmental Risk Prevention Program), noise measurement, anamnesis-applied hearing evaluation, tonal threshold audiometry, acoustic immittance, and transient otoacoustic emission testing. Audiograms were analyzed through clinical and occupational criteria (Labor Ministry/ Regulatory Norm 7). Results noise levels found were 77.0 to 99.0 dB(A), 37.89% audiograms were altered, among them, 18.94% suggesting noise-induced hearing loss, mainly among the clothes folders. The test of otoacoustic emissions showed no transient responses in 13 subjects with no emissions in some ears. Conclusion the laundry is a hazardous place for hearing loss, thus preventive measures, such as Hearing Conservation Programs must be adopted.