Occupational noise induced hearing loss and vibrations exposure and its determinants in oil & gas industry in India: A review article

Occupational Noise Induced Hearing Loss and Whole Body Vibrations are the common hazards in modern industries. Noise is the insidious of all industrial pollutants, involving every industry and causing severe hearing loss in every country in the world. It has been suggested that 12% or more of the global population is at risk of hearing loss from noise. A study published in American Journal of Industrial medicine showed in Oil and Gas extraction sector of the U.S 14% of the overall noise-exposed workers and 28% of the noise-exposed workers in the Natural Gas Liquid Extraction had hearing loss. Left untreated, hearing loss can lead to communication difficulty, social isolation, stress and fatigue. It is additionally associated with depression, cognitive decline, dementia, falls, and mortality. Workers with hearing loss face challenges to their personal safety, are at higher risk of injury. Vibration reported a significantly higher prevalence of tingling, numbness, paresthesia (18.2%); pain in finger, wrists, arms, etc. (31.7%); stiffness in hand (13.6%); and hyperhidrosis (48.5%) among drillers. Whole-body vibration and segmental vibration need to be studied separately because they are measured and evaluated using different standards. They also require different control measures and have differing effects on the human body. The clinical presentation of HAVS in India is not the classical VWF. Subclinical manifestations and dose- response relationships need to be worked out for HAV and WBV in Indian miners. The review paper intends to throw light on these silent killers in the form of occupational hazards leading to serious non-curable permanent health impediments/ disabilities in Oil & Gas industry.