ABSTRACT
Cross-sectional audiometric study among 1219 cane sugar factory workers from 13, factories in the year 1988 has shown relationship between noise exposure and hearing loss with X21.d.f. = 37.02 (When X21.d.f. = 3.84 for p = 0.05). Both unilateral and bilateral loss have been found closely among the exposed. Among the non-exposed, unilateral loss is twice of bilateral loss. Fifty percent of hearing loss is mild. The another half is moderate and severe. About eighty five percent o hearing loss has been detected at high frequencies (4.8 kHz). Above ninety percent of workers with hearing loss have been on the job for 5 years or longer. Most of hearing loss workers experienced on job classifications such as juice extractions, boilers, sugar spinning machines, electroturbine and evaporators. The relationship between hearing loss and average area noise levels is not detected by regression analysis.