Prevention of hearing damage from exposure to high noise
Project Type
Occupational safety and health promotion for metal fabrication workers in the informal sector
Background information
According to a 2019 report from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), over 80% of the total employment in Kenya is in the informal sector, known locally as the “Jua Kali,” literally under the hot sun, because most of the work is done at roadside worksites, most without any shade.
Workers in the sector are primarily self-employed individuals, while others work together in organised groups. One of the major groups, and maybe the most significant, is the one for metal fabrication. The work of the metal fabricators involves cutting steel sheets and rods, forming and shaping into various products, grinding, filing, welding, etc. The work is mainly done by hand using metal chisels for cutting, hammers and anvils for shaping/forming. Few workers may have some level of vocational training, but most are self-taught and develop their skills as they gain experience over time. There are no known programmes for training workers on occupational safety and health in the informal sector.
The nature of work and the tools used are sources of high noise. The workers work day long without protection against the high noise level. Work by Sawanga et al (2016) showed that the noise levels recorded at the metal fabrication sites were over 90dB, with 60% of the workers having hearing threshold level shift with hearing impairment due to prolonged noise exposure.
Project Description
The project’s objective was to bring about more awareness of noise hazards and related health concerns and to support the workers in mitigating the effects of noise exposure.
The project first entailed documenting the noise levels at a specified metal fabrication worksite. The next stage was to provide short training on noise hazards and the health risks of noise exposure. Further, audiometric tests on the workers were conducted. An occupational health physician was at hand to advise the workers on health promotion.
Project outcome
Noise levels at 96-110 dB were reported. Audiometric tests showed that 70% of the workers had noise-induced hearing loss, varying according to the years in the occupation. OSH Pro Services provided 30 workers with ear muffs per the attenuation level determined.
