Application of two occupational risk assessment methods in noise assessment of a beer manufacturing enterprise / 公共卫生与预防医学

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the applicability of two different occupational health risk assessment methods for noise positions in a beer manufacturing enterprise. Methods An occupational health investigation along with the detection of occupational hazard factors were carried out in the workplace of a beer manufacturing enterprise in Wuhan. Workers with 8-hour working day equivalent sound level (LEX,8 h) ≥ 80 dB (A) were selected as research subjects. The “Guidelines for Noise Occupational Disease Risk Management” method and occupational hazard risk index method were used to assess the risk of noise jobs in the beer manufacturing company. The assessment results of the two methods were compared. Results The noise exposure level of the enterprise was between 81.2 and 91.2dB(A). The guideline method predicted that the risk of high-frequency hearing loss and noise deafness for wine bottling workers and labelers on the bottling production line was high after 35 years exposure to noise. Washing，inspection and boxing on the bottling production line and bottling up on the canning production line were at medium risk, and others were at low risk. The evaluation results of the occupational hazard risk index method showed that the bottlers, bottling workers, wine inspectors, labelers and boxers on the bottling production line were at medium risk, and other positions were at low risk. Conclusion The occupational hazard risk index method is more comprehensive to consider all the factors of health risk, and the evaluation results are close to the “Guidelines for Noise Occupational Disease Risk Management” method. The guideline method can quantitatively predict the risk of high-frequency hearing loss and noise deafness, and the risk of hearing loss increases with the extension of years of noise exposure.