Characterization of hearing impairments due to exposure to industrial noise in generator set operators in Pinar del Río

Noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss is the consequence of multifactorial damage to the auditory structures, which is why the need for this work arose. Objective: To characterize hearing disorders due to exposure to industrial noise in generator set operators in Pinar del Río in the period 2021-2023. Methods: A longitudinal, prospective, descriptive and observational study was carried out, which was validated using theoretical, empirical and statistical methods. Results: a universe of (n-65) and a sample of (n-26) workers, with a predominance of the age group between 41 and 50 years, detecting 26 cases with hearing loss for 40% of the total workers exposed to noise, with a predominance of the male sex for 100%, the hearing impaired detected are directly exposed to noise with an intensity measured between 93 and 95 decibels. Mild hearing loss was present in 50% of the affected (n-13). The use of individual protection equipment against the harmful effects of noise was deficient; it was found that only 26.92% of the workers used them (n-7). Conclusions: all the generator sets were identified as sources of high noise emissions with measured levels higher than the internationally established values. Regarding the characteristics of the audiometric curves, there was a predominance of mild and moderate hearing loss, and the partial existence of the protective equipment was found, as well as their poor use by the workers.