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Assessment of noise exposure for basketball sports referees
Abstract
Dosimetric measurements carried out on basketball referees have shown that whistles not only generate very high peak sound pressure levels, but also play a relevant role in determining the overall exposure to noise of the exposed subjects. Because of the peculiar geometry determined by the mutual positions of the whistle, the microphone and the ear, experimental data cannot be directly compared with existing occupational noise exposure and/or action limits. In this paper an original methodology, which allows experimental results to be reliably compared with the aforementioned limits is presented. The methodology is based on the use of two correction factors to compensate the effects of the position of the dosimeter microphone (fR) and of the sound source (fS). Correction factors were calculated by means of laboratory measurements for two models of whistles (Fox 40 Classic and Fox 40 Sonik) and for two head orientations (frontal and oblique). Results show that for peak sound pressure levels the values of fR and fS, are in the range -8.3 to -4.6 dB and -6.0 to -1.7 dB respectively. If one considers the Sound Exposure Levels (SEL) of whistle events, the same correction factors are in the range -8.9 to -5.3 dB and -5.4 to -1.5 dB respectively. The application of these correction factors shows that the corrected weekly noise exposure level for referees is 80.6 dB(A), which is slightly in excess of the lower action limit of the 2003/10/EC directive, and a few dB below the Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) proposed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The corrected largest peak sound pressure level is 134.7 dB(C) which is comparable to the lower action limit of the 2003/10/EC directive, but again substantially lower than the ceiling limit of 140 dB(A) set by NIOSH.
... The noise from traffic and recreational events may frequently peak at very high levels, but only lasts for very short periods of time (Jagniatinskisa et al., 2017;Oiamo et al., 2017). On the other hand, the noise in all of the above situations is amplitude modulated (Barlow and Castilla-Sanchez, 2012;Masullo et al., 2016), not stationary like the noise used in the laboratory studies. Moreover, noise-induced damage of human hearing accumulates over many years in which noise exposure is intermittent. ...
Noise induced synaptopathy (NIS) has been researched extensively since a large amount of synaptic loss without permanent threshold shift (PTS) was found in CBA mice after a brief noise exposure. However, efforts to translate these results to humans have met with little success—and might not be possible since noise exposure used in laboratory animals is generally different from what is experienced by human subjects in real life. An additional problem is a lack of morphological data and reliable functional methods to quantify loss of afferent synapses in humans. Based on evidence for disproportionate synaptic loss for auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) with low spontaneous rates (LSR), coding-in-noise deficits (CIND) have been speculated to be the major difficulty associated with NIS without PTS. However, no robust evidence for this is available in humans or animals. This has led to a re-examination of the role of LSR ANFs in signal coding in high-level noise. The fluctuation profile model has been proposed to support a role for high-SR ANFs in the coding of high-level noise in combination with efferent control of cochlear gain. This study aimed to induce NIS by a low-level, intermittent noise exposure mimicking what is experienced in human life and examined the impact of the NIS on temporal processing under masking. It also evaluated the role of temporal fluctuation in evoking efferent feedback and the effects of NIS on this feedback.
... Furthermore, the longterm equivalent (Leq) sound level of noise generated by traffic is generally lower than 80 dBA, indicating that even though noise levels of traffic may frequently peak at very high levels, those instances will only last for very short periods of time (Jagniatinskisa et al., 2017;Oiamo et al., 2017). Secondly, the noise experienced by humans in real life is temporally fluctuated in level (Barlow and Castilla-Sanchez, 2012;Masullo et al., 2016), not stationary as what is used in the laboratory studies. Thirdly, the noise experienced by humans is generally intermittent or repeated interruptedly, with damaging doses accumulating across long periods of time. ...
Noise induced synaptopathy (NIS) and hidden hearing loss (NIHHL) have been hot topic in hearing research since a massive synaptic loss was identified in CBA mice after a brief noise exposure that did not cause permanent threshold shift (PTS) in 2009. Based upon the amount of synaptic loss and the bias of it to synapses with a group of auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) with low spontaneous rate (LSR), coding-in-noise deficit (CIND) has been speculated as the major difficult of hearing in subjects with NIS and NIHHL. This speculation is based upon the idea that the coding of sound at high level against background noise relies mainly on the LSR ANFs. However, the translation from animal data to humans for NIS remains to be justified due to the difference in noise exposure between laboratory animals and human subjects in real life, the lack of morphological data and reliable functional methods to quantify or estimate the loss of the afferent synapses by noise. Moreover, there is no clear, robust data revealing the CIND even in animals with the synaptic loss but no PTS. In humans, both positive and negative reports are available. The difficulty in verifying CINDs has led a re-examination of the hypothesis that CIND is the major deficit associated with NIS and NIHHL, and the theoretical basis of this idea on the role of LSR ANFs. This review summarized the current status of research in NIS and NIHHL, with focus on the translational difficulty from animal data to human clinicals, the technical difficulties in quantifying NIS in humans, and the problems with the SR theory on signal coding. Temporal fluctuation profile model was discussed as a potential alternative for signal coding at high sound level against background noise, in association with the mechanisms of efferent control on the cochlea gain.
... Although the main purpose of fitness gyms is to improve the users' physical fitness and quality of life, such an environment with excessive exposure to loud music can be harmful to both instructors' and users' hearing [10][11][12][13]. Assessments of noise exposure in sports instructors have shown very high continuous equivalent sound pressure levels [14]. In addition, studies have investigated risks related to noise exposure, symptoms of hearing loss, and awareness of hearing problems among fitness instructors [15][16][17][18][19]. ...
People seek health and leisure in gyms and fitness halls. In this study, interior acoustics including reverberation time (T) and activity noise levels were studied in 20 indoor sports and gymnasium (IS & G) halls in Amman, Jordan. Interviews and questionnaires were also applied to assess the subjective comfort levels of the acoustic environment in these IS & G halls. The measured values were correlated with the subjective evaluations. The range of measured T values was 1.09–5.38 s. The activity noise level, which was measured with LA,eq over 50 min of activity, ranged between 80.0 and 110.0 dB(A). The average personal noise exposure for instructors was 92.6 dB(A), ranging from 81.0 to 108.0 dB(A), whereas 90% of the measurement results were above the occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 85.0 dB(A), and 40% of instructors were potentially exposed to excessive noise levels. The subjective rating of listening conditions correlated significantly with the reverberation time rather than noise level (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the results from this study show that noise levels generated in the studied IS & G halls present a possible workplace noise hazard. Raising awareness of the risk of hearing problems among instructors working in IS & G halls is highly recommended.
With the emergence of the multidisciplinary approach to the management of patients with voice disorders, nonsurgical “conservative” voice management has gained popularity as a primary treatment option in sports occupational voice users (SOVU) and others with dysphonia. The most commonly adopted strategies are vocal hygiene therapy (VHT), vocal function exercises (VFE), and voice amplification (VA). Vocal hygiene therapy (VHT) stresses voice health education, nontraumatic phonatory behavior, and lifestyle behavioral modifications, whereas VFE includes supervised voice training to reduce laryngeal muscle tension and imbalance and improve the coordination between oscillation (vocal fold vibration), respiration, and resonance to optimize phonation. VA aims to decrease vocal dose by amplifying the voice, using either via a stationary or portable system. Although VA does not address the laryngeal behavior directly, it is still an alternative treatment strategy in SOVU with or without dysphonia, and it can be used in combination with VHT and VFE.
L’attenzione verso il rischio derivante dall’esposizione al rumore in settori non industriali, come quello scolastico e della musica, ha dimostrato come, anche nell’ambito di attività di carattere antropico possano determinarsi condizioni di esposizione rischiose per la salute degli individui. Tra queste tipologie, l’arbitraggio svolto da giudici di gara non professionisti, merita notevole interesse, sia per gli alti livelli di esposizione a cui questi sono esposti, che per la natura extralavorativa e volontaria della prestazione svolta. Misure dosimetriche effettuate durante lo svolgimento di partite del campionato dilettanti di pallacanestro su arbitri non professionisti hanno dimostrato come i livelli di esposizione di gara raggiungono valori molto elevati (circa 100 dB(A)), con una spiccata presenza di eventi impulsivi derivanti dall’utilizzo del fischietto per tutta la durata dell’incontro (circa 1.5-2h). Le misure sono presentate in termini di livelli di esposizione giornaliera e settimanale.
School gymnasia and swimming pools are generally environments affected by poor acoustic conditions due to absence of sound absorbing materials, noisy sport activities, presence of many students at the same time and intensive use of blowing whistles to enforce the communication. The consequence is that physical education teachers can not only show long term stress but they can also be exposed to noise risk to noise-induced hearing loss. Investigation has shown that the problem is quite large; as many as 20-25% of physical education teachers can be affected by a noise exposure higher than acceptable limits. It is then necessary to analyze in detail all factors that can influence the noise in these special school environments in order to develop simple acoustical guidelines useful for school officials for stress management and hearing conservation programs.
The purpose of this article is to develop a method for the statistical inference of the maximum peak sound pressure level and of the associated uncertainty. Both quantities are requested by the EU directive 2003/10/EC for a complete and solid assessment of the noise exposure at the workplace.
Based on the characteristics of the sound pressure waveform, it is hypothesized that the distribution of the measured peak sound pressure levels follows the extreme value distribution. The maximum peak level is estimated as the largest member of a finite population following this probability distribution. The associated uncertainty is also discussed, taking into account not only the contribution due to the incomplete sampling but also the contribution due to the finite precision of the instrumentation.
The largest of the set of measured peak levels underestimates the maximum peak sound pressure level. The underestimate can be as large as 4 dB if the number of measurements is limited to 3-4, which is common practice in occupational noise assessment. The extended uncertainty is also quite large (~2.5 dB), with a weak dependence on the sampling details.
Following the procedure outlined in this article, a reliable comparison between the peak sound pressure levels measured in a workplace and the EU directive action limits is possible. Non-compliance can occur even when the largest of the set of measured peak levels is several dB below such limits.
© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.
Research on the relationship between noise exposure and noise-induced hearing loss has been very intense over the last 30 years, and steady progress has been made in spite of many remaining questions and unresolved problems regarding the mechanisms. For the time being, avoidance of excessive noise exposure is the only way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss; this is the reason why governments, industry, workers and their representatives have been looking for scientific exposure criteria and guidelines to prevent hazardous noise exposure as part of comprehensive hearing conservation programs. Although it was clear from the beginning that noise-induced hearing loss in a population with exactly defined noise exposure would exhibit a statistical distribution due to differences in biological susceptibility, the epidemiological statistical data were not available to describe quantitatively the difference between the percentage of people with impaired hearing in a noise-exposed group and the percentage of people in a non-noise-exposed group, i.e., the risk of noise-induced hearing impairment.
Occupational and recreational noise exposures were evaluated at two sporting arenas hosting collegiate hockey games (Venue 1) and semi-professional hockey (Venue 2). A total of 54 personal noise dosimetry samples were taken over the course of seven home hockey games: 15 workers and 9 fans at Venue 1, and 19 workers and 11 fans at Venue 2. None of the sampled workers were overexposed to noise based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration criteria. However, 40% and 57% of workers at Venue 1 and 33% and 91% of fans at Venue 2 were overexposed based on ACGIH noise exposure criteria. Noise exposures for fans were significantly different between venues, but worker noise exposures between venues were not significantly different. In addition, extensive area noise monitoring was conducted at each venue to further characterize the stadium noise on a location-by-location basis. Mean equivalent sound pressure levels ranged from 81 to 96 dBA at Venue 1 and from 85 to 97 dBA at Venue 2. Mean noise peak levels ranged from 105 to 124 dBA at Venue 1, and from 110 to 117 dBA at Venue 2. These data reflect the potential for overexposure at indoor hockey events and are useful in characterizing occupational noise exposure of indoor arena support staff and may also provide a foundation for future noise control research in indoor sports arenas.
The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence of hearing loss in a sample of sports officials and estimate the duration of whistle use required to reach a permissible 8-hr 100% noise dose. We conducted an online survey of 321 sports officials regarding their exposure to whistle noise and symptoms of hearing loss and tinnitus, and we assessed the acoustic characteristics of commercially available whistles. Male sports officials registered in Michigan had a greater prevalence of self-reported hearing trouble and tinnitus than observed in the general population of the midwestern United States. Sound levels produced by whistles range between 104 and 116 dBA, which corresponds to maximum unprotected exposure times of 90 to 5 sec, respectively. These findings suggest that whistle use may contribute to hearing loss among sports officials.
The focus of this study was to measure the noise exposure that high school basketball referees experience during games.
This report presents detailed measurements made in the anechoic chamber at IRC of the sound fields around human talkers. The measurements were made on behalf of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). The sound field surrounding a human talker was measured simultaneously by two sets of eight microphones arranged at fixed positions on two fixed orthogonal meridian arcs in the anechoic chamber at IRC. The talker was positioned at the center of the two arcs of the microphone arrays. To complete the survey of the whole sound field surrounding the subjects, each talker rotated to six fixed positions in 15-degree increments. Le rapport présente les mesures détaillées des champs acoustiques autour des locuteurs humains effectuées dans la salle anéchoïque de l'IRC. Les mesures ont été faites à la demande de Travaux publics et Services gouvernementaux Canada (TPSGC). Le champ acoustique qui entoure un locuteur humain a été enregistré simultanément par deux jeux de huit microphones disposés à des emplacements définis, sur deux arcs méridiens fixes, dans la chambre anéchoïque de l'IRC. Le locuteur était placé au centre des deux arcs formés par les ensembles de microphones. Pour étudier la totalité du champ acoustique qui entourait les sujets, on a demandé à chaque locuteur de se déplacer le long des six emplacements fixes par incréments de 15 degrés. RES
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