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To correlate headng impairment and simultaneous occupational exposure to noise and organic solvents, it was made a cross-sectional research in 140 workers from a paper factory's with more than five years in same factory job. Workers were distributed in three groups as follows: unexposed (n=43), exposed to noise (n=50) and exposed to noise and organic solvents (n=47). Medical examination included audiometry to look for hearing impairment. The risk of hypoacusia was greater in exposed workers than in unexposed ones. Exposure to noise longer than five years was related to Odds Ratio (OR)=11,85 (1,46-66.57) and a hearing impairment prevalence of 22%. Simultaneous occupational exposure to noise and solvents produced OR=14.4 (1.78-77.3) and 25.53% hypoacusia prevalence. For men exposed to noise and solvents, the risk of hearing impairment was 1,22 times greater than for workers exposed to noise only [OR=1.22 (0.43-3.43)]. It was determined that workers simultaneously exposed to noise and solvents had not a greater risk to suffer hearing impairment than those exposed only to noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The are few investigations of working conditions of health care workers in Latinamerica and Venezuela; despite its relevance, because of possible detrimental effects on health care workers. This is a descriptive, cross sectional study of occupational hygiene whose objective was to evaluate working conditions in the surgery room of a hospital. It was made a survey in workers and related hygienic conditions. The personnel was predominantly young (37,79 ± 7,62 years), female sex 75%. The occupation with the higher level of exposure to noxious agents was nursery and the time of occupational exposure was 7,6 ± 5,9 years. The dimensions of the ares and the air turnover/hour were acceptable. The levels of ilumination, noise, temperature and relative humidity did not accomplish with the regulations; formaline levels were within permissible limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]