Annual Meeting Abstract
Qutishat Dua
Abstract
Employee exposure to harmful dust, heat, noise and hazardous chemicals might cause several occupational diseases and voice disorder is one of them. There is a limited research on vocal health and safety in workplaces. In addition, there is a lack of awareness among employees and employers about vocal health and safety in the working environment. Work-related voice disorders might cause sick leaves, stress, low productivity and in severe cases a permanent damage to the voice. Our study aimed to detect work-related voice disorders in chlorine manufacturing industry, and to improve vocal health and safety among employees in industrial workplace. Fifty employees in chlorine manufacturing industry were examined using the occupational health assessment followed by a voice assessment.The study identified the influencing factors for work-related voice disorders in chlorine manufacturing industry such as level and time of exposure and rest time during work. The types of voice disorders and the perceptual vocal characteristics were identified for each employee as well as the acoustic data of the voice. In addition, the effects of work-related voice disorders on the working environment were studied. The aim of this presentation is to highlight the importance of examining vocal health and safety among employees in industrial work-places, and referring those with occupational voice disorders to voice therapy. Employees who are at risk of occupational voice disorder can follow a preventive vocal hygiene program and employers might consider enhancing the working environment and the level of awareness about vocal health and safety and following rules and regulations of health and safety in industrial work-place.