Using Total Worker Health® Concepts to Address Hearing Health

Exposure to hazardous types and levels of noise is common both at work and in daily life. Therefore, while protecting workers on the job is very important, it is also important to raise awareness and encourage protective behavior outside of work. In addition, other risk factors— both on and off the job—can interact with noise to increase or decrease risk. Through its Total Worker Health® (TWH) Program, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends an integrated approach to address the hearing health of workers. An integrated approach is a comprehensive consideration of risk factors intended to protect workers from work-related injury and illness and help them advance their overall health and wellbeing, on and off the job. The approach includes addressing exposures at work, environmental factors, and personal factors [NIOSH 2018c]. This Workplace Solutions document focuses on the application of TWH concepts to promote better hearing health and reduce the risks associated with noise exposure.

Using Total Worker Health^® Concepts to Address Hearing Health pdf icon[PDF – 1,024 KB]

Suggested Citation

NIOSH [2019]. Using Total Worker Health® concepts to address hearing health. By Themann CL, Morata T, Afanuh S. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2019-155, https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2019155external icon