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Affecting about 48 million people in the United States, hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities among American workers. The effects of hearing loss on the workforce can be far-reaching, resulting in lost productivity, lower wages, and increased safety risks.
The most common cause of workplace hearing loss is exposure to damaging levels of noise, so hearing conservation efforts in the workplace are almost exclusively focused on noise control. However, some chemical exposures can either directly damage hearing or act synergistically with noise exposure to increase hearing damage.