Occupation related fire fighter hearing loss.

A noise exposure survey and audiometric assessment of 750 Los Angeles City fire fighters carried out to study the impact of fire service noise exposure on fire fighter hearing loss revealed evidence of excess hearing loss at the 3000Hz, 4000Hz, and 6000Hz test frequencies. Fire fighter medical history and life-style data did not point to a significant impact of hobbies and diseases on hearing threshold changes. The hearing loss observed at the test frequencies was, in relation to age, in excess of a general national population. This increased hearing loss with age for fire fighters suggests occupational overexposure to noise. A hearing conservation program for the fire service is therefore recommended.