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KMID : 1156220080340020153
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Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
2008 Volume.34 No. 2 p.153 ~ p.160
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Exposure to Noise on Railroad Operators
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Lee Sang-Yun
Choi Sang-Jun
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Abstract
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Personal noise exposure was assessed in railroad operators working in 40 operation units including the Gyeongbu line, Honam line, and Janghang line between 2004 and 2006. 8-hour TWA were assessed based on the MOL (Ministry of Labor) guideline on noise evaluation, and 17% of these measurements exceeded 85 ㏈A while 70% were over 80 ㏈A. When the ACGIH TLV is adopted, 40% of measurements were over TLV (85 ㏈A). The noise exposure risk of railroad operators was higher for diesel locomotive operation and longer operational distances; in addition, the risk was higher for passenger car operation compared to freight car driving. Given that in Korea, over the past 30 years diesel locomotives have provided most of the railway’s motive power and that hearing protective equipment is not likely to be used by workers during operation, railroad operators are at a high risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The result of audiometric test among 568 railroad operators showed that 32.6% of those tested had a hearing threshold shift of more than 40 ㏈. In conclusion, this study calls for more fundamental measures including noise control countermeasures within the operation areas, development of equipment that generates less noise and adopting limitation on the operation distance for a work shift.
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KEYWORD
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railroad, operator, diesel locomotive, noise, operation diagram
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