2022 NHCA Annual Virtual Conference

Introduction: The contribution of hazardous noise – a ubiquitous exposure in workplaces – to occupational injury risk is often overlooked. In this cross-sectional study, the fraction of US workplace acute injuries in 2019 attributable to hazardous occupational noise exposure was estimated. Methods: Using the NoiseJEM, a job exposure matrix of occupational noise, and 2019 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the proportion of workers experiencing hazardous occupational noise (≥85 dBA) was estimated for every major US Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) group. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated for each major SOC group using the relative risk (RR) taken from a published 2017 meta-analysis on this relationship. Results: About 20.3 million workers (14%) experience hazardous occupational noise. Nearly 3.4% of acute injuries in 2019 (95% CI: 2.4%, 4.4%) were attributable to hazardous occupational noise. Discussion: This suggests hazardous noise exposure at work is an important and modifiable factor associated with a substantial acute occupational injury burden.