Personal Noise Exposure Assessment Study for Food Servers and Cooks in Locally Owned Restaurants

CCF37A44ABDeirdre Green, Principal Investigator, MS Student, Occupational and Environmental Health in the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa.
Dr. Renee Anthony, Faculty Sponsor, Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health in the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa

Abstract provided by PI: In many occupational settings, there have been significant strides in noise reduction; however the restaurant sector appears to be moving in a different direction. The lack of attention not only creates an environment where customer conversation is difficult, but also an environment that is unsafe to restaurant employees. Previous research has determined average restaurant sound levels to be within occupational limits; however, the personal noise exposure of restaurant workers has not been characterized. To determine the personal exposure of restaurant workers, noise dosimeters will be placed on restaurant workers at six downtown Iowa City restaurants. Exposures will be evaluated by season, job category and restaurant type to characterize factors associated with high personal noise exposures. This study will provide valuable information on the personal noise exposure of restaurant workers and allow for an examination of noise overexposure by season, job title and restaurant style.

 Results & Dissemination

 

Restaurants can be noisy workplaces for employees serving or preparing food, but little is known about their risk of hearing loss. Deirdre Green, a trainee in the NIOSH funded Heartland Education and Research Center, and Renée Anthony, a faculty member in Occupational and Environmental Health, recently conducted a study funded by the Healthier Workforce Center at the University of Iowa to examine noise exposures in restaurants. Their study evaluated full shift noise exposure to workers at six college-town restaurants to examine risk factors associated with noise exposures on both days and weekends. Participants included cooks, counter attendants, bartenders, and waiters at full-service restaurants with bar service and at limited service restaurants that provided counter service only. Nearly 8% of the noise levels measured exceeded recommended guidelines from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for maximum noise exposure. Those working in full service restaurants compared to counter-only services and cooks were exposed to more excessive noise than others. Fall semester and weekend exposures to noise were higher than those in the summer or weekends. These results suggest that workers in these environments may require interventions to protect their hearing. Results were published in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Hygiene in July 2015, entitled Occupational Noise Exposure of Employees at Locally-Owned Restaurants in a College Town.

Green DR, & Anthony TR (July, 2015). Occupational noise exposure of employees at locally-owned restaurants in a college town. Journal of Occupational Environmental Hygiene. 12(7):489-499.

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