Does occupational noise matter amongst manufacturing (small and medium enterprises) workers? Empirical evidence from Magaba, Mbare, Zimbabwe.
Miston Mapuranga, Eugine T Maziriri, Ralebitso K Letshaba and 1 others
PMID 32129661WHAT IT FOUND
Reported workplace noise exposure was linked to manufacturing workers' attitudes about noise and concern about hearing loss; those factors were also linked to job performance.
The study did not test whether reducing noise helps.
Key findings
01Occupational noise was associated with attitudes toward occupational noise exposure and with perceived susceptibility to hearing loss in the survey model.
02Attitudes toward occupational noise exposure and perceived susceptibility to hearing loss were associated with job performance in the survey model.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was convenience selected from manufacturing small and medium enterprises in one Zimbabwe area, so the findings may not apply to other workplaces or worker groups. The data were self-reported questionnaire perceptions, not actual hearing assessment results. The study used a one-time survey and a statistical model, so it cannot show that noise caused attitudes, hearing-loss concern, or job performance changes. Only workers were surveyed, not supervisors or managers, so organisational factors may be missing. 250 of 350 distributed questionnaires were completed, so non-response was possible.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that workplace noise caused hearing loss or reduced job performance. The study measured perceptions at one time in one Zimbabwe manufacturing area and did not test noise reduction or hearing protection, so the links cannot be treated as proof of effect.