The impact of loud noise on workers in granite factories in Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Mohamed, Ahmed Hussein; Rashed, Mohamed Nageeb; Hussein, Amal Saad; El-Behairy, Kassem Omar

doi:10.21608/aujes.2025.407226.1356

The impact of loud noise on workers in granite factories in Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

¹ Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Misr Petroleum Company, Aswan, Egypt

² Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Aswan University, Egypt

³ Environment & Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre

⁴ Associate Professor, Physics department, Aswan University, Egypt

10.21608/aujes.2025.407226.1356

Abstract

Abstract

Occupational noise exposure is a physical hazard that can lead to occupational diseases, including noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), which is the most common occupational disease among industrial workers, particularly in granite processing industries. This paper aims to study the hearing health effects of workers exposed to excessive noise in granite processing industries. The noise levels were measured at primary operations by the selected granite factories in the study area, (the Aswan Industrial Zone), while a total of 104 workers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic data, working conditions, and the hearing symptoms they experience during and after work hours. The results showed that that the noise levels surpassed the limits established by Egyptian Environmental Law (90 dB). 40% of workers reported hearing symptoms consistent with the phenomenon of temporary transient hearing loss, such as tinnitus and temporary hearing loss after work hours. Statistically significant differences were recorded between noise exposure levels (by factory) and the incidence of hearing symptoms, with Factory A recording the highest number of TTS cases.

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