Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
J Occup Environ Hyg. 2021 Mar;18(3):139-148. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2020.1867729. Epub 2021 Jan 28.
Daily activities performed by music instructors generate high sound levels that could potentially lead to overexposure. Adverse outcomes associated with high-exposure to sound, such as hearing loss and tinnitus, can be especially devastating to music instructors as hearing is essential to both job performance and career reward. The primary objective of this study was to compare sound exposures of music instructors to recommended exposure limits. Secondary objectives were to identify high-exposure activities and to evaluate potential similar exposure groups by examining between- and within-worker exposure variability. Personal sound exposure measurements from music instructors were collected using dosimeters during full workdays for up to 4 weeks over multiple semesters at a university's school of music. Study participants completed an activity log to record work-related activities throughout each day of sampling. Dosimeters logged 1-sec sound equivalent levels in A-weighted decibels. These data were used to calculate 8-hr time-weighted averages, daily dose, and activity-specific contributions to that dose to determine if daily exposures exceeded the recommended limit of 85 dBA and to identify high-exposure activities that could be targeted for future intervention. Seventeen participants were sampled for a total of 200 days. Approximately one-third of daily exposures exceeded recommended limits. The groups with the highest exposures were brass and conducting instructors. Conductors experienced the highest between-day variability in daily exposures. Activities that contributed the most to daily dose included group rehearsals, personal practice sessions, and performances, while classes and administrative work did not substantially contribute to daily dose. Daily exposures were highly variable, ranging from 60-95 dBA (mean = 81 dBA, sd = 8 dBA), and were influenced by instructional area and musical activity. Future exposure assessments for music instructors should include sampling for multiple days, and those above-recommended limits should be placed into hearing conservation programs.
音乐教师的日常活动会产生高强度的声音，可能导致过度暴露。与高强度声音暴露相关的不良后果，如听力损失和耳鸣，对音乐教师来说尤其具有破坏性，因为听力对于工作表现和职业回报都是至关重要的。本研究的主要目的是比较音乐教师的声音暴露与推荐的暴露限值。次要目标是确定高暴露活动，并通过检查工人之间和工人内部的暴露变异性来评估潜在的类似暴露群体。在一个大学的音乐学院，通过使用剂量计在多个学期的多个完整工作日内收集音乐教师的个人声音暴露测量值，每次持续长达 4 周。研究参与者完成了一份活动日志，记录了采样期间每天的工作相关活动。剂量计以 A 加权分贝记录 1 秒声音等效水平。这些数据用于计算 8 小时时间加权平均值、日剂量以及该剂量的特定活动贡献，以确定每日暴露是否超过推荐的 85 dBA 限值，并确定可能成为未来干预目标的高暴露活动。有 17 名参与者进行了总计 200 天的采样。大约三分之一的日常暴露超过了建议的限制。暴露量最高的群体是铜管乐器和指挥教师。指挥者在每日暴露的日间变异性方面经历了最高的变化。对每日剂量贡献最大的活动包括小组排练、个人练习和表演，而课程和行政工作并没有对每日剂量有很大的贡献。每日暴露量高度可变，范围在 60-95 dBA（平均值=81 dBA，标准差=8 dBA），并受到教学区域和音乐活动的影响。未来对音乐教师的暴露评估应包括多天采样，并且应将超过建议限值的暴露者纳入听力保护计划。
