T. Winkler, J. James, Duke University, Durham, NC.
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires that a proactive risk assessment be conducted when planning construction that could potentially compromise patient care, treatment, or services. Potential exposures to several hazardous exhausts on the rooftop of a major hospital were identified before construction personnel began retrofitting two helipads on the roof. A new roof and two landing pads were installed over a seven-month period. Two exhausts from isolation rooms, one ethylene oxide exhaust and one nuclear medicine exhaust, were found to be of concern for contractors, employees, and patients who would be transported off the helipads. A communication system was devised between departments exhausting to these sites on the roof and the construction project manager. Construction work in the vicinity of isolation room exhausts was halted when a patient on protective respiratory isolation was present in one of these rooms. Concentrations of ethylene oxide discharged from its exhaust were monitored and entered in to a model to estimate potential exposures at distances away from the exhaust. A radius of safety of 25 ft was implemented for the ethylene oxide exhaust. A charcoal filter was installed in the nuclear medicine exhaust, and its efficacy was checked. Warning signs were installed at each exhaust. Medical and helicopter personnel using these landing pads were given an orientation to these exhausts before beginning their operations on the roof.
H. D’Angelo-Scott, Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour, Halifax, NS, Canada; A. Dufresne, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
A sampling campaign was conducted to explore the extent to which funeral home workers are exposed to formaldehyde during the embalming of an intact body. Ten funeral homes throughout Nova Scotia agreed to participate, and in each funeral home the embalming process was divided into five steps: pre-embalming, feature setting, arterial embalming, cavity embalming, and cosmetizing. Airborne formaldehyde vapors were measured during each step using GasTec detector tubes and NIOSH Method 3500, and in general both methods recorded similar exposure levels. Specifically, formaldehyde vapor concentrations ranging from 0.098 ppm to 0.55 ppm were observed during arterial embalming, whereas cavity embalming resulted in higher exposure levels ranging from 0.14 ppm to 4.8 ppm. While formaldehyde exposures depended on both the use and type of personal protective equipment as well as room ventilation, our findings suggest that in some circumstances formaldehyde exposures may exceed the provincial exposure limit ceiling value of 0.3 ppm during the embalming process. Cavity embalming and the application of disinfectants containing formaldehyde are likely to result in the highest exposures. However, the embalming solutions used, the applications methods, and the location of inlet and exhaust ducts for the ventilation system are also likely to influence formaldehyde exposure levels among funeral home workers.
G. Burr, A. Warren, NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH.
Investigators from the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) program responded to a report of dementia and neurologic dysfunction among workers producing polyethylene battery separator material. Industrial hygiene sampling and a medical evaluation were performed to determine if trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure was associated with neurobehavioral impairment. Full-shift and task based personal breathing-zone air samples for TCE were collected on all study participants over one week. The medical evaluation included a detailed medical questionnaire; a series of five objective neurobehavioral tests (postural way, trail making, visual contrast sensitivity, symbol color, and grooved pegboard); and biological monitoring for trichloroacetic acid (TCAA), a TCE metabolite. Of 129 study participants; 82 (64%) had daily TCE exposure and 47 (36%) had no exposure. For the exposed group, mean full-shift TCE concentrations ranged from 3.0 to 37 ppm among the nine job categories evaluated. The NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) for TCE, adjusted for a 12-hr work shift, is 21 ppm as a time-weighted average. Shorter-term (13 to 48 min) task-based TCE concentrations ranged from 30 to 445 ppm. Twenty-two of the 82 TCE-exposed participants (26.8%) had urinary TCAA exceeding the ACGIH biological exposure index for TCAA of 100 mg per gram of creatinine. We found significant differences between the exposed and unexposed groups in three of the five neurobehavioral tests: grooved pegboard; visual contrast sensitivity (for spatial frequency of 6 cycles per degree [CPD] for both eyes, and 12 CPD for the right eye); and postural sway (for soft-surface, eyes-closed test position). We recommended that TCE-exposed employees wear respirators equipped with organic vapor cartridges while performing both routine work activities and during maintenance activities until company-planned engineering and administrative controls reduce TCE exposures below the NIOSH recommended exposure limit.
M. Rodriguez, J. Eisenberg, NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH.
In response to a health hazard evaluation request, NIOSH investigators evaluated dermal exposures to metalworking fluid (MWF) at a bearing manufacturing plant. We interviewed employees regarding their work history with MWF and their use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Personal breathing-zone (PBZ) and general area air samples were collected for MWF mist and ethanolamines. Bulk samples of the MWFs were analyzed for ethanolamines, triazine (a formaldehyde-releasing biocide), formaldehyde, endotoxins, fungi, and bacteria. We also examined the ventilation systems used to control MWF mist. Of the 46 employees interviewed, 4 had rashes that were consistent with contact dermatitis from MWF exposure. Most interviewed workers (37 of 46) used nitrile gloves, but none wore company-provided coveralls. MWF concentrations in 18 PBZ samples ranged from 0.22-5.0 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3), with 15 exceeding the NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) for MWF (measured as thoracic particulate mass) of 0.40 mg/m3, time-weighted average (TWA) over an 8-hr workday. The MWF bulk samples contained ethanolamines, endotoxins, and total bacteria at acceptable levels, but one MWF bulk sample did have higher than optimal fungal growth counts. This same sample contained triazine, which may explain the one air sample result for formaldehyde exceeding the NIOSH REL-TWA of 0.016 ppm. We found the MWF ventilation systems were ineffective and in need of maintenance. We recommended repairing the ventilation systems, educating workers regarding MWFs and PPE, conducting prompt dermatologic evaluation of rashes, and using respiratory PPE until engineering or administrative controls can reduce worker exposures to MWF mist below the NIOSH REL.
M. Berakis, J. Scheatzle, Brush Ceramic Products, Tucson, AZ; M. Collingham, APEX Microtechnology, Tucson, AZ.
Previous epidemiologic research has focused on the primary production of beryllium oxide (BeO) ceramics operations where cases of chronic beryllium disease (CBD) were found. In response to these findings, an enhanced preventive model addressing multiple exposure pathways was implemented beginning in 2000. Since implementation of this model, no cases of CBD have been observed. Occupational exposures to airborne BeO ceramic created during downstream operations have not been well characterized in the occupational health literature. This study focused on the primary downstream user, typical high-power hybrid, of finished BeO ceramic substrates. A qualitative and quantitative exposure assessment examined eight similar exposure groups; thick-film application, wire bonding, laser trimming, firing, lead attach, die attach, and sorting operations of BeO ceramic substrates. Engineering, work practice, and administrative controls were assessed and compared to the preventative model. The similar exposure group’s personal airborne exposures were compared to the Cal/OSHA permissible exposure limit of 0.0002 mg per cubic meter (mg/m3). Three tasks were identified as operations that have potential for airborne dust generation; these included thick-film process, CO2 laser trimming, and lead attach. This study also identified work practices that could generate dust containing BeO, verified engineering controls that were in place to control BeO, and reviewed administrative controls. It was concluded that the manufacturer was following the preventive model; as a result beryllium exposures were well controlled.
E. Baylosis, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.
The Department of Energy issued the final rule Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, part 851, Worker Safety and Health Program, which requires DOE sites to establish a worker protection program. The requirements of this rule are based on DOE Order 440.1A and incorporate specific regulations from federal, consensus, and proprietary standard-developing organizations. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is preparing to implement a worker safety and health program based on the DOE rule and has established a multidisciplinary team to conduct baseline assessments of LLNL facilities. A primary mission of this team is to perform assessments following a wall-to-wall process that will help determine the overall compliance status vs. 10 CFR 851 requirements. This poster describes the preliminary findings of the assessment team. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy.
C. Lai, J. Xi-Wu, Y. Lin, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; F. Tang, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
The aim of this study was to investigate the possible conditions associated with laborers’ slips and falls at workplace in Taiwan. A total of 403 employees from different factories in central Taiwan was recruited for the study. The factories differed in size: The smallest had only 7 persons and the largest 63. Data on slip-and-fall accidents were collected by questionnaires. The questionnaire included (1) sources of accidents, and (2) incidence of accidents associated with shoes, environmental factors, and human factors. The results indicated that logistic regression analysis showed slip-and-fall accidents had statistical significance with the following: (1) shoe variables: shoe sole with anti-slip materials, and foot-sole slip through shoe mat (odds ratios 1.868 and 1.664; p=0.0034 and p=0.0371), (2) environmental variables: wet ground, oily ground, and ramp (odds ratios of 3.821, 2.990, and 1.503, respectively; p-values of p<0.0001, p<0.0001, and p=0.0485, respectively); and (3) human variables: high walking speed, drunkenness, poor conscious state, carelessness, scarce of sight, loss of balance, and working stress (odds ratios of 2.545, 4.359, 5.787, 4.154, 19.119, 4.808, and 6.641, respectively; p-values of p=0.0244, p=0.0049, p<0.0001, p=0.0010, p<0.0001, p=0.0002, and p<0.0001, respectively). The ultimate goal of this study could be used not only for shoe design but also for safety management in the workplace.
R. Patel, Safe Workplace Inc., Anand, Gujrat, India.
The primary purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of tobacco dust and the fiber of gunnybags on workers in the process of raw tobacco weighing bags. The study was carried out in tobacco farms situated in Anand district of the state of Gujarat, in the western part of India. Specific aims were to investigate the exposure of contaminant and suggest safe work pratices. A qualitative and quantitative exposure assessment was conducted for generated tobacco dust and fiber of gunnybags. The microscopy and gravimetric analysis was carried out by using microbalance and phase contrast microscopy in an analytical laboratory. Results of the study were obtained through biological monitoring of the workers engaged in weighing of bags. The 28 personal samples were collected near the breathing zone for 300 bags per hour in close godown with little ventilation. It was found that the concentration of fiber of gunnybags is more than 90x times more than the threshold limit, and the concentration of tobacco dust is also 10x times more than the threshold limit. During the medical surveillance, adverse health symptoms were found, such as breathlessness, coughing, and occupational asthma. It was concluded that most of workers involved in weighing activity could die within 5 to 10 years of exposure. The proper particulate respirator and other personal protective equipment were provided to control immediate exposure of these contaminants. The training program was conducted in the local language of farmworkers.
R. Patel, Safe Workplace Inc., Anand, Gujrat, India.
The study was carried out in the Kheda district, on the western side of India. Different activities are carried out such as metal cutting, welding, and framing of water heaters. The welders are actively involved in manufacturing of water heaters in a small-scale workshop. During a walk-through survey, it was found that welders are not aware of the danger of exposure to welding fume and of other safety precautions. The study was carried out for prevention and control of welding fumes as the cause of various health impairments in welders. Thirty personal samples were collected for shifts in all the seasons, near the breathing zone in the workshop. The gravimetric analysis of welding fumes and concentrations of heavy metal was determined by using inductively coupled plasma (ICP). It was found that the concentrations of welding fumes as well as heavy metals exceeded the threshold limit. During medical surveillance, adverse health symptoms of health were found, including breathlessness, coughing, muscle pain, fever, and chills. The training for safe work practices was conducted in the local language of welders and other employees. Air purifying respirators and other personal protective equipment with a sufficient protection factor were provided to the welders for immediate precautions.
C. Lai, S. Li, W. Syu, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; T. Yu, Y. Ho, C. Chang, Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Taipei, Taiwan.
Bioaerosols have become an important issue, as Taiwan is located in a subtropical area. The warm weather and high moisture climate are extremely favorable for bioaerosols. When exposed to bioaerosols, humans may be susceptible to asthma, allergic rhinitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and aspergillosis — even influenza, acute toxic disease, and cancer. To investigate the risk of bioaerosols, Andersen impactors, all-glass impingers, and membrane filters are often used for sampling biological samples. According to research, the size distribution of bioaerosol is from 0.3 to 100 μm. These biological samplers have different sampling efficiency in collecting bioaerosols, due to varying designs of the sampling inlet or sampling mechanism. For this reason, some of the fragile bacteria may cause death during sampling. Moreover, the turbulence flow, wall interactions, electrostatic forces, and transport losses possibly can affect the sampling result. The objective of this research was to develop a new biosampler with high sampling efficiency in collecting 1 ~20 μm bioaerosols. A widely used horizontal elutriator was modified and used for bioaerosol sampling. A Collison nebulizer was used to generate B. subtilis spores as challenge aerosol. A radioactive source, Am-241, was used to neutralize the challenge particles to the Boltzmann charge equilibrium. A single-stage Andersen sampler and AGI-30 were used to sample bacteria for comparing aerosol concentration with the new bioaerosol sampler. Both the collection and preservation efficiency of the new biosampler were taken into account for the total sampling efficiency. The ultimate goal of this study was to provide a high-efficiency sampling biosampler.
J. Sparer, C. Redlich, Yale Occupational & Environmental Medicine Program, New Haven, CT; Y. Liu, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY; K. Ibrahim, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Concern is increasing about skin exposures to a range of contaminants. Although gloves and coveralls are routinely recommended and worn for many solvent exposures, there is limited data on their effectiveness in conditions of actual use. The aim of this study was to evaluate glove and coverall efficacy at known levels of airborne solvent exposure during auto body spray painting.
Simultaneous personal breathing-zone air samples were collected, each paired with six Permea-Tec pads from three separate spray painting events. Permea-Tec charcoal pads were placed inside and outside of nitrile gloves (on the palm and palmer middle finger of the dominant hand inside, and on the palm and dorsal surface of the dominant hand outside) and inside and outside the Tyvek coverall. Sampling periods ranged from 6 to 22 min — all by the same painter, in the same booth, using the same paint system. Air samples and Permea-Tec pads were analyzed for acetone, MEK, MIBK, toluene, butyl acetate, ethyl benzene, and xylenes, all among the solvents commonly found in auto body refinishing. Although individual airborne solvent levels were low (the highest measured airborne component was toluene, at 31.4 mg/m3), quantifiable solvent exposures were detected inside gloves and coveralls in all three painting events, toluene most consistently. The personal protective equipment exposures were highest in the samples of longest duration: 22 min. Under these conditions, the nitrile gloves appear to offer some, but not complete, protection. Outside-glove exposures were consistently higher than inside-glove exposures, but coveralls did not provide protection in this study.
H. Yuasa, K. Fukiura, T. Honda, K. Kimura, H. Emi, K. Nozaki, KOKEN, Hanno, Japan.
Respirators are used to protect their wearers from exposure to harmful substances. Therefore, performance evaluation of respirators should be performed using respiratory waveforms of operators while they are at work. Many recent studies have conducted respiration analyses of test subjects under work load in laboratories. However, few cases have analyzed respiration of actual operators at work. In this study, we developed a sampling device that obtains and analyzes respiratory patterns of operators while they are at work and collected respiratory waveforms of actual operators at work using this device. This sampling device consists of a particulate respirator that carries a micropressure gauge, data logger, and batteries. Fluctuations of internal pressure of a respirator due to respiration of wearing operator is detected by a differential pressure sensor and recorded in the compact data logger. Before conducting analysis, the respiration data is converted to flow patterns using an analytical curve in a laboratory. At first, in order to evaluate the sampling system, we entered pulsation flow data that has a known flow rate and then compared the obtained waveform data and the basic waveform. As a result, difference of flow rate was less than 5% for 10-40 L/min respiration rate of this device. We analyzed respiration data obtained with the device for three welding operators at work. There was a significant difference in respiration rate between operators (17-32 L/min), despite the small number of test subjects. The peak inspiratory airflow rate of operators was 145 L/min; however, the percentage of inspiration that exceeded 85 L/min was less than 30%. This result suggests that 85 L/min is more than enough to evaluate the performance of particulate respirators under a moderate workload in Japan.
D. Groce, EG&G Technical Services Inc., Point Marion, PA; B. Doney, M. Greskevitch, NIOSH, Morgantown, WV; D. DeJoy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA; C. Oke, NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA.
Our objective was to identify distinguishing features of respirator programs in demolition companies. Focus group data indicate that large demolition companies are attentive to respirator use, perhaps due to the potential presence of hazardous substances during routine demolition operations. These substances include silica, asbestos, lead, metal fumes, and miscellaneous chemical vapors. During 2006, NIOSH investigators visited five sizable demolition companies, including six work sites in Houston and Chicago. The purpose was to increase the knowledge base regarding policies and practices found to strengthen respirator use as well as to gain insights regarding successful respiratory protection programs. Some companies worked throughout the United States, while others worked only in Chicago or Houston. The nature of their work included demolition of industrial, commercial, and public buildings as well as industrial complexes. (The companies visited are not necessarily representative of the entire demolition industry.) The visits with demolition companies identified the following practices as important to successful respiratory protection programs: (1) a clear company priority for safety and health; (2) frequent safety meetings, specifying circumstances requiring respiratory protection, at the job site; (3) providing a safe, clean area for storing respirators; (4) easy availability of replacement respirator bodies and filters; (5) maintenance of a stable work force. Two problems with respiratory protection implementation were identified during site visits: (1) difficulties in keeping respirators clean over an extended period of time, and (2) the need to be vigilant to minimize physical interference between respirators and other personal protective equipment.
Investigators will use the data gathered from these companies to recommend enhancements to respiratory protection programs throughout the construction industry.
C. Dowell, NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH; L. Delaney, NIOSH, Atlanta, GA.
NIOSH received a health hazard evaluation request from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Palm Beach International Airport. The request asked NIOSH to determine the potential for exposure to heat stress conditions for checked-baggage screeners. The request indicated that some screeners had experienced health problems possibly related to heat stress, including heat cramps and heat exhaustion. In response, NIOSH investigators measured wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) to evaluate heat stress conditions and core body temperature (CBT), heart rate (HR), and pre- and post-shift body weight measurements to evaluate individual heat strain. WBGT readings ranged from 77.5ºF to 83.9ºF. When compared to the NIOSH and ACGIH screening criteria, the results indicate that screeners were exposed to excessive heat stress conditions during the evaluation. Twenty-three participants were monitored for physiological signs of heat stress during their work shifts. All screeners were considered acclimatized to their work environment. Eight participants showed signs of heat strain. One of the screener’s CBT exceeded the ACGIH criterion of 101.3ºF for acclimatized workers. There were 10 instances of screeners’ HRs exceeding the ACGIH criterion of 180 minus their age. In addition, three of the screeners had average HRs that approached or exceeded 115 beats per minute during the shifts they were monitored. None of the screeners had a body weight loss exceeding the ACGIH criterion of 1.5%. TSA screeners were exposed to heat stress in excess of the occupational criteria and some developed signs of heat strain as measured by CBT or sustained HR. In addition, some complained of symptoms of heat strain. Recommendations were provided for identifying and reducing heat stress and strain, including engineering controls and the establishment of acclimatization, education, surveillance, and heat alert programs.
D. Bryant, G. Popov, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO.
Rural environmental noise exposures provide opportunities for assessing nonauditory effects of sound. Low population density attracts land uses that are unpopular in suburban and urban locales, resulting in economic opportunities for rural communities. Noisy recreational facilities, such as motocross tracks, are springing up in the country. Rural residents accustomed to the peace and quiet of their farmland and woods feel violated by these acoustical changes and often resort to legal action, requiring the expertise of industrial hygienists (IHs) to recognize and evaluate nonauditory health effects. This case study explores the regulatory boundaries, local and global guidelines, and the appropriateness of the A-weighted scale for evaluating environmental noise created by motocross racing. The only environmental noise regulations in rural Missouri apply to airports. Local noise ordinances do exist in major cities and generally match noise levels to land use zoning, allowing the highest noise levels in industrial areas. Noise levels for residentially zoned property are limited to decibel levels between 45 and 65 dBA, with the lowest levels specified for nighttime hours. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends even lower levels in rural areas and emphasizes the importance of evaluating low-frequency sound when assessing environmental noise impact. IHs, familiar with evaluating occupational noise exposures for potential hearing loss using weighted sound measurements, have less knowledge of the consequences of exposures to low-frequency sound. These A-weighted measurements are inadequate for assessing the potential for nonauditory effects, including psychological reactions to unpredictable environmental noise. In this case study, a multifunction sound analyzer was used to collect frequency data that supplemented the measurements made with data logging sound level meters and dosimeters. Results indicated that low-frequency sound contributed to undesirable responses to environmental noise at levels above WHO guidelines.
W. Adams, B. Basbagill, Safex Inc., Westerville, OH.
The construction industry has had a substantial increase in the use of powder-actuated tools for fastening materials over the last 10 years. Based on the experience of the speaker and other safety professionals in the industry, it has been observed that construction employees prefer not to wear hearing protection when using powder-actuated tools in the workplace. This behavior is often reinforced throughout the construction industry by project managers, site superintendents, and foremen who do not enforce policies that require hearing protection. The noise data collected from three projects is compared. The data includes the sound level measurements, time-weighted averages, square feet of space in the work area, number of employees operating powder-actuated tools, and the type of materials being fastened. The study also compares the noise exposure of the employee operating the tool to other employees working in the same area but not operating powder-actuated tools. The noise exposures vary and are influenced by impact noise, the layout of the building, the surface and types of construction materials, the number of people operating powder actuated tools in the same area, and the type of boosters and fasteners used for the project.
H. Sbihi, P. Demers, H. Davies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Exposure to noise is a multidimensional issue, as its health effects encompass auditory and nonauditory effects. A highly plausible biological model exists that links noise with cardiovascular disease. However, epidemiological evidence has been inconsistent. Given the ubiquitous nature of noise and the burden of cardiovascular disease in North America, this is a major public health issue. We examine one facet of this relationship by investigating the relationship between noise and hypertension in a retrospective cohort study of British Columbia sawmill workers. Through linkage with provincial hospital discharges and the medical billing system, our study population consisted of 10,872 subjects employed for at least one year in one of the 14 participating sawmills. Hypertension was captured according the International Classification of Diseases ICD 9, codes 401-405. We defined a subject as a case if three visits with hypertension codes were billed in a two-month period one visit at the hospital for hypertension was recorded. Noise exposure was quantitatively assessed, and we used two metrics: cumulative exposure and duration of exposure above thresholds of 85, 90, and 95 dBA, for the period of the study whose follow-up started April 1991 and ended July 1998. Relative risks were estimated using Poisson regression, with a low-exposure group as controls and adjusting for age, race, and calendar period. A total of 828 male subjects were defined as cases. The results showed a monotonic increase with cumulative exposure, and the risk in the highest exposed population was 32% higher than baseline. Similar results were found using duration of exposure. The highest relative risk was 1.5 in workers exposed for more than 30 years at 85 dBA. Trends were statistically significant. In conclusion, we showed that the risk of hypertension was positively associated with noise exposure using both metrics. These results were robust to different case definitions found in the literature.
C. Achutan, R. Tubbs, NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH.
Police officers are exposed to a variety of occupational noise exposures. This study examined noise level exposures and hearing loss among nine police officers assigned to their city’s canine unit. The officers support the city’s police force when a canine is needed to corner suspected criminals. They contributed 22 full-shift, personal noise dosimeter measures. Hearing tests were administered to all nine officers. Informed consent was obtained from each participant before administering a short questionnaire about work history and a self-assessment of their hearing ability. Study participants also authorized their employer to release their preemployment audiograms. Six of the 22 personal dosimetry measurements exceeded the daily allowable dose of 100% as calculated by the NIOSH recommended exposure limit criterion. Three of the police officers showed some degree of hearing loss on the current audiogram (defined as exceeding 25 dB). One of these three had a physician-diagnosed, nonoccupational hearing decrement. Another showed moderate hearing loss in both ears, while the third showed mild hearing loss in his left ear. Another officer who had normal hearing showed a worsening of his hearing when his current audiogram was compared to his preemployment audiogram. Preemployment audiograms revealed testing inconsistencies and a lack of data quality control. Generally, officers were able to perceive their hearing ability accurately. Police officers’ perception of their hearing was influenced by how their family, friends, and colleagues sometimes responded to them. Because of the small sample size, inability to control for confounders, and the relative youth of the officers (mean age: 41 yrs) with respect to time needed to develop hearing loss, no association can be made between onset of hearing loss and exposure to noise from canines for these officers. Recommendations were made on how to protect the officers’ hearing, such as enrolling officers in a hearing loss prevention program.