Hearing Conservation Program on Workers Exposed to Industrial Noise

Hearing conservation program (HCP), is a method of preventing noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) in the occupational environment. The threshold safety limit value (TLV) which has been internationally used by Ocupational Safety Health Ascosiation (OSHA) is 85 dB in 8 working hours a day or 40 working hours in week. An effective HCP element included monitoring hearing hazard, engineering and administrative controls, periodic audiometric evaluation, hearing protection devices, worker educations and motivation, record keeping and program evaluation is important. Indonesia still facing NIHL problem. Hearing loss at the workplace is still the main occupational disease occured until now. The workers suffer from hearing disturbances are about 30%. NIHL is the common occupational illnesses and represents the majority of hearing loss cases in the workplace. In Indonesia because of many limitation, HCP is not yet well implemented. Difficulties in diagnosis NIHL as occupational diseases, others exposes out of job, others diseases that cause Hearing disturbances, less audiogram as base line data, undisciplined using PPE are some limitation that occure.