Occupational noise exposure in small and medium-sized industries in North Cyprus

ABSTRACT: The aim of the study is to investigate the noise levels in various small and mediumsized industries in North Cyprus in order to identify industries that might need further investigation due to high noise levels. No prior studies have been done on industrial noise exposure in Northern Cyprus. Occupational safety and health rules and regulations in North Cyprus states that monitoring noise levels, understanding the workers individual noise exposure and providing personal ear protectors is the responsibility of employers. It is observed that none of the companies visited are following these requirements. Exposure to excessive noise can cause health problems including temporary or permanent hearing loss, concentration problems, stress, nervousness, sleeping problems and fatigue. We measured noise levels in different industrial settings in North Cyprus using cirrus 273 integrated sound level meter with octave band filters. Occupational safety and health standards for noise exposure were used as the benchmark for our data analysis. Questionnaires were designed to determine how much employees were affected by high noise levels in the workplace. We analyzed the data using SPSS statistical program. Survey responses identified the most likely problems faced by industrial workers in North Cyprus. Sound level mapping informed worker noise exposure. Future studies will focus on industries with the highest noise levels, monitoring worker noise exposure using a dosimeter. Keywords: Occupational Health and Safety, Noise Exposure, Small and Medium-Size industries in North Cyprus, Hearing Conservation, Perception Risk. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………