Objective To explore noise hazards in modern cement enterprises in Guangxi, and to provide reference for protective and control measures against occupational noise.
Methods From 2010 to 2012, 6 cement production enterprises with new type dry process rotary kiln in Guangxi were enrolled. A field occupational health investigation was conducted to measure noise levels in selected workplaces, 8-hour equivalent noise levels, classifications of tasks exposed to noise, and workers' electronic audiometry.
Results The 8-hour equivalent noise level of 18 types of tasks that were exposed to noise were 61.7-98.6 dB(A), and the exceeding rates were 33.3%-44.4%. The classifications of tasks exposed to noise were 25.0%-37.5% as moderate hazards and 0.0%-16.7% as severe hazards. Of the workers with 1-7 years of noise exposure and in the cement enterprises that had operated for 4-7 years, the prevalence of hearing loss ranged from 12.9% to 17.0%, among which the detection rates of high-frequency hearing loss were 10.8%-15.8% and those of mild noise-induced deafness were 1.2%-2.4%.
Conclusion More attention should be paid to the occupational noise detected in the modern cement enterprises in Guangxi. It is necessary to strengthen individual protection against noise hazards under current production technology.
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