Hearing Capacity, Noise Level Exposure and Health Effects in Workers of Pulp and Paper Plant, Khon Kaen Province.

Hearing loss is one of the diseases from working. This study examined the worker’s hearing capacity, health effect, frequency and sound level in each department and the relationship between sound level and hearing capacity of the pulp and paper plant’s employees. A sample was selected from 207 cases, 8 departments from January to March 2018. The apparatuses were sound level meter and questionnaires. The findings indicated samples were male workers, 98.70% ages between 30 and 39 that worked in production and 58.94% of workers have worked for 5-10 years. The hearings of samples 73.91% were normal. The highest frequency of irregular hearing (4000-6000 Hz.) estimated 59.26 during working showed that 57.49% of workers have headache (72.46%), stress (35.75%) and mishearing (32.85%). Sound level in the workplace approximated 75.5-89.2 dB(A), found at 1000-2000 Hz. that no exceed standards. Sound level and hearing capacity of workers considerably related in statistic (OR_adj= 4.12; 95%CI:(1.59-10.71)). For the purpose that careful monitoring hearing capacity and the sound level effect of workers by monitor hearing in order for reducing the initial risk of losing hearing performance and the organization should set up hearing conservation program to prevent loss of hearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]