A study on exposure o noise among vector control workers in Klang District Health Office / Mohd Sirajudin Sabri

Excessive sound is one of the environmental pollution that had widespread detrimental effect on the physical and mental health as noise pollution. Vector control workers have a high impact of exposed to loud noise due to routine job or activities conducted. The objective of this study is to assess occupational health status of vector control workers, the exposure of noise from the activities being conducted and recommendation to organization in improving the worker’s health status by implementing suitable control measure. A cross sectional study was conducted to identify the hearing loss and noise exposure among 60 respondents of vector control workers in Klang District Health Office. The respondent’s comprising of 30 foggers who are exposed to hazardous noise is chosen by purposive sampling and 30 respondents as the comparison group who are not exposed to loud noise. In the first part, results of an audiometric test are presented. Early hearing loss level was measured by undergo audiometric tests including pure-tone audiometry. Results of this study indicates that the mean of pure tone audiometry of the exposed group is slightly higher at 18.3611dB (A) as compared to the comparison group at 15.9167 dB (A). The differences is statistically significant (t =1.902, p = 0.031). Distributions of the questionnaire are done to identify knowledge, attitude and practice where the result indicates low respondent level of knowledge regarding noise in workplace. The study then identifies the noise exposure emitted from the fogging machine. Noise exposure was measured by using Quest Noise Dosimeter to obtain personal noise exposure and CR: 800C Series Sound Level Meters to obtain noise emitting from the fogging machine. This study also shows that mean of noise exposure is 103.2 dB and mean of sound pressure level is 99.5dB. In conclusion, the prevalence of hearing loss is 15.0% which indicates that exposure to loud noise can influence the health status of the workers and ineffectiveness of hearing conservation program. This also showed that the noise have an impact to the health status of the workers in long term exposure. Further research is recommended to assess cholinesterase level of the workers and the use of organophosphate pesticides in the control activities which may also impact to the hearing loss.