Hearing loss and use of hearing protection among career firefighters in the United States.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) among career firefighters.

Methods: A Web-based survey and a standard audiometric test were performed with 425 firefighters from three states in the United States.

Results: More than 40% showed hearing loss in the noise-sensitive frequencies (4 and 6 kHz).

Hazardous decibels: hearing health of firefighters.

Noise-induced hearing loss ranks among the most significant occupational health problems. In the United States, more than 1 million firefighters are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss due to exposure to hazardous levels of intermittent noise from sirens, air horns, and engines of emergency vehicles and fire trucks. Although irreversible, noise-induced hearing loss is entirely preventable through both engineering controls and personal protective equipment.

Cardiovascular risks in firefighters: implications for occupational health nurse practice.

Limited cardiovascular risk data are available for firefighters. This cross sectional study of data collected during annual physical examinations described the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among firefighters (N = 200) and examined relationships between body mass index (BMI) and other cardiovascular risk factors. Evidence based guidelines were used to determine prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and Framingham risk scoring was used to estimate probability of coronary heart disease (CHD).

Effect of firefighter masks on monocular and binocular peripheral vision.

Peripheral vision can impact essential job functions of firefighters and other workers who use Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus and other full face masks. It is important for physicians to know how these masks alter peripheral vision. Also, one must understand the effect of monocular vision on peripheral vision.

Cause, type, and workers' compensation costs of injury to fire fighters.

Background: Work-related injury rates in the fire service industry exceed those for most other industries, however little is known about the cost of injury to firefighters.

Methods: This is a preliminary investigation of detailed worker's compensation records of firefighter injuries, 1,343 claims in all, collected from 1992-1999. Summary statistics and regression analysis regarding the cause, nature, and cost of injury to firefighters are presented.