INVESTIGATION OF NOISE SENSITIVITY AND NOISE DISTURBANCE AMONG MINERS IN A MECHANIZED UNDERGROUND MINING OPERATION

In the mining sector, which is classified as highly hazardous, the number of noise sources and, consequently, the noise level in the environment are increasing with the transition to mechanization. While mechanized vehicles have different noise levels, prolonged exposure to this noise can pose a direct risk to miners. Noise annoyance, generally associated with negative noise experiences, is related to the amount of noise exposure. Noise sensitivity is a genetically inherited personality trait unrelated to exposure to noise. This research aims to determine whether the noise annoyance and sensitivity of miners differ from the general population and to examine their relationships with environmental and individual variables. This study is a cross-sectional, conducted on miners, in a mechanized underground mine and male office workers with non-mining workplaces. Volunteers who aged 20-60 years without any otological, neurological problems. The Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale, a demographic information form, and noise annoyance data were analyzed. Although the level of noise annoyance and sensitivity complaints among miners was higher than control group, the difference wasn’t statistically significant (p>0.05). Measures must be taken within the framework of occupational health and safety against noise hazards and risks, including in the mining sector and other fields of work.