Noise characterization and exposure of indoor hockey officials
Date
2015
Authors
Langley, Ammon, author
Brazile, William, advisor
Sandfort, Delvin, committee member
Lipsey, Tiffany, committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Researchers have recently associated self-reported hearing loss in sports officials who use whistles. However, the actual noise exposures or degree of hearing loss to sports officials have not been determined to date. Researchers have shown that frequent noise exposures to equivalent sound pressure levels that exceed 85 dB may not only contribute to hearing loss, but also incidence of hypertension. Therefore, a pilot study was conducted to assess hockey official noise exposures at two sporting arenas that host junior and collegiate hockey games. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to measure the noise to which hockey officials are exposed; (2) to determine if hockey officials are at increased risk of hearing damage from officiating games; and (3) to determine if hearing protection is warranted. This pilot study will help determine if a more comprehensive study, including audiometric testing, at louder, larger sports arenas is necessary. A total of 23 hockey official noise exposure samples were taken over the course of six hockey games. The hockey official noise exposure samples were collected while they were officiating games using Larson Davis personal noise dosimeters Models 706 and 703+. Each game was approximately three hours in duration. The dosimeters were pre-calibrated and attached to the officials with the microphone positioned within a one-foot radius of their heads on their dominant sides. The dosimeters were post-calibrated and the data were downloaded using the Larson Davis BlazeĀ® Software. Analysis of the noise data included descriptive statistics such as the time-weighted average, eight-hour time-weighted average, noise dose percent, the equivalent sound pressure level, and the predicted 8-hour noise dose percent. Although the hockey games were only approximately three hours in duration, 15 of 23 (65%) of the officials were overexposed to noise based on the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists recommended threshold limit value of 85 dBA as an eight-hour time-weighted average (3 dB exchange rate). Furthermore, all officials sampled had equivalent continuous sound pressure levels that exceeded 85 dBA. None of the hockey officials were exposed to noise levels in excess of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit of 90 dBA as an eight-hour TWA (5 dB exchange rate) or the OSHA action limit of 85 dBA (5 dB exchange rate). Based on the results of this pilot study, hockey officials are overexposed to hazardous levels of noise that can likely contribute to hearing loss. Therefore, recommendations that include training and the use of earplugs were provided to reduce hockey official noise exposure and reduce the risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss in this population of workers. However, to determine if temporary hearing loss occurs from hockey game noise, future research using audiometric testing pre- and post-game exposure should be performed.