Protecting their hearing might be the furthest thing from the minds of most farmers as they drive tractors, operate chainsaws or check grain drying in their bins, but not being cautious around these loud noises produces irreparable damage.
“Farmers have lifelong exposure to levels of noise that cause hearing loss,” said David Baker, assistant dean of agriculture extension and a former state safety and occupational health specialist. “These higher exposure levels mean farmers who don’t protect themselves will invariably experience hearing loss that will impact their lives.”
Agriculture ranks high among industries that take their toll on hearing.
According to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) surveys, more than 43 percent of workers in U.S. agriculture encounter dangerous levels of noise.
Even short bouts of loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss.
As little as two hours of driving an open cab tractor or two minutes running a chainsaw can cause a temporary hearing loss. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends ear plugs or other hearing protection for prolonged exposure to noises higher than 90 decibels.
“Sounds that register above 90 decibels cause harm over a period of time, and farmers often don’t know the risk level they are exposed to,” Baker said.
Farm operators and managers report the second-highest hearing difficulty (22 percent) of all occupational categories in data collected from 1997 to 2004 and an average of 11.4 percent, according to the NIOSH survey.
Parts of the inner ear like the cochlea and small hairs that line its membranes are damaged by continued exposure to high-level noise. Over time this can eliminate hearing of high frequency noises.
Simple maintenance can help with much machinery racket. Replacing worn or loose parts to cut down on vibration, maintaining properly working mufflers to cut exhaust noise and isolating yourself with an acoustically designed tractor cab all reduce exposure.
Still, keeping hearing protection handy and actually using it around loud equipment remains the biggest challenge for farmers.
One in four ag workers admitted they don’t use hearing protection. Baker acknowledges that convincing farmers to protect their hearing can be a tough sell but should be addressed.
“Farmers are by nature risk takers,” he said. “They are losing their ability to sense the risk but getting them to realize the long-term harm is a start.”
Roger Meissen is a Senior Information Specialist with the Cooperative Media Group at the University of Missouri.
