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Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss While Farming

Did you know that farmers have the second-highest rate of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)? Only the construction industry is more dangerous to hearing health.
NIHL is caused from repeated exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels (dB). There aren’t many tasks related to farming that don’t involve being around loud machinery.

Here are some of the noise levels of sounds commonly heard around the farm:

  • Tractor with soundproof cab:  up to 85 dB.
  • Tractor without soundproof cab:  100+ dB.
  • Combine:   80-105 dB.
  • Grain dryer:  81-102 dB.
  • Crop dusting aircraft:  83-116 dB.
  • Pig squealing:  85-115 dB.

The farming industry has no standards in place, so it’s up to you to protect your own hearing. At Hearing Associates, we offer custom hearing protection products to fit your needs. Contact us to schedule an appointment at our main branch in Mason City or any of our other locations throughout northern Iowa.