In January 2016, a NIOSH study regarding occupational health hazards was published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. It found that nearly 22 million workers were impacted by hearing loss, and workers most at risk were in the agricultural, fishing and hunting industries. Other industries where workers in Pennsylvania and around the country may be at a higher risk for hearing loss or tinnitus were included the forestry and manufacturing sectors.
Determining occupational hearing loss risk
Safety procedures for trench digging and excavation work
Construction workers in Pennsylvania are often asked to perform extremely hazardous tasks, and they rely on innovative safety systems and the latest protective equipment to keep them safe. Excavation work and trench digging may seem far safer than clinging to scaffolding hundreds of feet in the air, but cave-ins, toxic fumes, oxygen deprivation and flooding are constant sources of worry for workers and safety inspectors alike.