Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the health complaints and the audiological findings of 2 groups of workers. Study design: Clinical prospective randomized. Material and method: Group 1 was exposed to high sound pressure levels and vibration transmitted by hands and arms through the use of power brush cutter/string trimmers. Group 2 was exposed to high sound pressure levels and whole-body vibration transmitted by heavy machinery such as vibrating compactor rollers, skid-steer loaders, backhoes and compact hydraulic excavators. The 73 participants underwent an interview, otoscopy, and pure-tone audiometry. Regarding general health, group 2 workers, exposed to whole-body vibration presented the highest number of complaints. Results: All the participants from group 1 use hearing protectors and 11% of them complained about tinnitus. Not all workers from group 2 use hearing protectors and 17% of them 2 reported tinnitus. However, group 1 workers, exposed to hand-arm vibration was the group with the highest percentage of abnormal audiograms. Conclusion: This study revealed a series of weaknesses in the health surveillance of these populations and indicated the need for the implementation of preventive programs focusing on their exposures to noise and vibration.
vibration; noise; hearing loss; prevention
