Abstrait

Audiometric Findings of Textile Workers in Mali

Sacko HB, Coulibaly MB, Traor

Industrial noise is a factor of lesion of the auditory apparatus, which typically results in installing sensorineural deafness to varying degrees. Implantation of industrial enterprises in our developing countries is at the front the hearing problem related to exposure to noise. Objective: To determine the frequency of hearing loss among textile industry workers of weaving department. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight (68) male workers from the weaving section of a textile factory in Bamako (Mali)”ITEMA” were selected as subjects of the study. To evaluate the hearing ability of the subjects, pure-tone audiometric tests were done. Results: The mean age of the subjects is 32 years with a range of 30 to 55 years. The exposure time in the weaving section varied from 6 months to 20 years. In the weaving section, the mean noise level was 101.2 +/- 2.6 dBA. Hypoacousia and Tinnitus were the most common subjective symptoms in the surveyed mill. The results of the audiometric examinations showed that the hearing threshold levels were higher at frequencies 1,000 and 4,000 Hz for subjects with the longest duration of employment, 85% of the subjects examined suffer from varying degrees of hearing impairment.Conclusion: The industrialization of our states is a problem hearing in some workers. It is therefore important to put more emphasis on noise protection by the ear protection device, the only way to prevent neurosensory disorders related to industrial noise.