Singapore: Noise-induced deafness incidents that were reported tripled from 168 cases in 2021 to 624 last year

SINGAPORE — The number of reported incidents of noise-induced deafness in the workplace spiked sharply from 168 cases in 2021 to 624 last year mainly owing to more awareness of the condition and greater surveillance.

This was according to the latest Workplace Safety and Health Report, which also noted that a mandated period of heightened safety from September last year led to a drop in workplace fatalities.

However, there was an uptick in workplace major injuries, the report added.

Here are some of the key findings from the report, which was released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Tuesday (April 4):

NOISE-INDUCED DEAFNESS

The report said the number of incidents of noise-induced deafness had been generally trending downwards from 498 cases in 2015 to 168 cases in 2021.

In 2021, MOM rolled out the WHS+ under the national 10-year Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) 2028 strategy to minimise hazards that lead to occupational diseases, including noise-induced deafness.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, a MOM spokesman said that under WHS+, workplaces with high noise levels are required to adopt upstream risk controls to reduce workers’ noise exposures and put in place effective Hearing Conservation Programmes to manage noise hazards at workplaces.

The spokesman added that MOM is also continuing to increase the number of workplaces under WHS+ as well as collaborating with the Workplace Safety and Health Council, an industry-led statutory body, to increase awareness and implementation of Hearing Conservation Programmes.

“Through these efforts, there was greater awareness in reporting of noise-induced deafness amongst doctors and employers which contributed to the increase in noise-induced deafness numbers.”

The MOM report also highlighted that noise-induced deafness was the leading cause among 1,052 occupational diseases recorded last year, followed by work-related musculoskeletal disorders with 340 cases.

The manufacturing sector was found to be the main contributor to noise-induced deafness cases, accounting for 69 per cent (430 cases) of the total number of cases, followed by the marine sector with 8 per cent (50 cases).

The report did not provide information on the sectors that contributed to the remaining noise-induced deafness cases.

The MOM spokesman said that ​​​​​​manufacturing and marine sectors have been the top contributors for noise-induced deafness cases over the years, due to noisy processes that are present in both industries.

“Some noisy work processes include metal sheet stamping, grinding, drilling, grit blasting, as well as the use of powered tools and machinery.”

Responding to TODAY’s queries, Associate Professor Chui Yoon Ping of Singapore University of Social Sciences said MOM has been tracking noise-induced deafness for many years. It was a notifiable condition as far back as 1975, she said.

The deputy dean of the university’s College of Interdisciplinary and Experiential Learning said that while noise-induced deafness is incurable, it is preventable.

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