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The NSW Rural Noise Injury Prevention Program – a walk through history

The NSW Rural Noise Injury Prevention Program – a walk through history. Prepared by Kathy Challinor CNC 3 Audiometrist Hearing Services HNEH 25 th October 2007. Planting the seed. “Any good health promotion program starts with a bloody good idea”

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The NSW Rural Noise Injury Prevention Program – a walk through history

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  1. The NSW Rural Noise Injury Prevention Program – a walk through history Prepared by Kathy Challinor CNC 3 Audiometrist Hearing Services HNEH 25th October 2007

  2. Planting the seed • “Any good health promotion program starts with a bloody good idea” • Patsy Bourke – Health Promotion partner in crime

  3. The needs assessment 1983 • A colleague mentioned that rural women were complaining to her about their ‘deaf’ husbands • “Deaf” husbands will not admit to a loss nor come to town for a hearing test to ‘prove’ their wives right • Situation – “If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain” • Ag-Quip - the largest agricultural field days are held at Gunnedah –where lots of farmers attend • Problem – how to get a site and provide a hearing service to farmers with no money or equipment but lots of enthusiasm

  4. Obstacles – lifelines - solutions • Cost of a site – unable to ‘piggy back’ • No facility in which to see farmers • Heard about Lyn & Phil in Moree – ‘Care About’ • Joined forces • Applied for seeding grant of $1500 for hire of site for 3 days • Borrowed a tent (fishing club) • Borrowed a caravan • Consigned PPE from Bilsom

  5. The early years – 1985-1988 • Screened 228 farmers over 3 days – 66% NI – reluctant older farmers pushed in by wives • Sold out of PPE • Attended other smaller field days – MATE Mudgee etc • Caravan crashed on way to Mudgee so used a bus • Lyn & Phil set up the Moree Ag-Health Unit & rural noise injury was one aspect of farm safety to be addressed by the unit • 1987 Produced a video in conjunction with UNE “You don’t have to yell at me” on rural noise injury – all non paid performers • Developed a questionnaire & fact sheets

  6. The birth of Farmsafe – and the USA • In 1988, a colleague & I went to USA & Canada to look at hearing services generally and farmsafe issues in particular • 1988 - Presented a paper on the rural noise program at the University of Ohio: at the Audiological conference in Perth and at the National conference on Deaf and Hearing Impaired in Sydney • July 1988 Farmsafe Australia was born – conference at UNE Armidale – hearing featured as one of the key farm safety issues needing to be addressed • A permanent site at Ag-Quip - the Ag Health shed was constructed

  7. Challenges & Opportunities • Attended field days, screened hearing, discussed PPE • Set up a data base of results (1994-contines today) • No PPE sold on-site at any field day events • Worked with PPE companies to get them to attend field days – successfully!! • Worked with field day organizers to ensure that any PPE that was sold was meeting AS (successfully!) • Data showing that older farmers very hearing impaired but younger farmers showing signs of significant loss at a very young age • Presented a paper at the International Congress of Occupational Health in Brisbane 1995 – Rural noise prevention – a field day approach

  8. Comparative surveys 1991 & 1994 showed increase in use of PPE tractors & chainsaws 1994-1997 WorkCover funded 3 farmsafe projects to roll out across NSW over 3 years – Rural Hearing; Tractor Safety & Horse Safety This enabled an extension of program across NSW & further work with local outlets of PPE Development of a strategy, training packages, updated questionnaire, new data base, new Ag-fact sheets on hearing 1993-1999 program conducted at 49 sites across NSW, ACT, Tas Funding only lasted 18 months Tinnitus emerging as a problem in farmers (>50%) Momentum continued for a few more years at other sites outside New England & continues today in smaller pockets across NSW Average age of farmers 47 Increase in PPE use from 30% to 70% Seeing 300 farmers over 3 days at Ag-Quip Built permanent booths in the Ag-Health shed at Ag-Quip – could now test 2 at one time Funding for expansion of program

  9. New Research Opportunities • Grant from Commonwealth Govt enabled the Rural Development Centre at UNE & Ag-Health to research links between noise, hearing protection & hearing loss in NSW farmers – using data from the program – “Disturbing the peace” • Results – less hearing loss if PPE & other strategies used • Program needed more resources to enable program to continue • More info needed on when PPE was being used • This led to a revision of the questionnaire with more specific questions in relation to use of PPE and activities undertaken

  10. 1999 – Goal 4 Farmsafe Australia – reduce noise injury in farmers aged 15-24 by 15% 1999 – presented a paper on the program at the National Farmsafe conference Farmsafe Australia made rural noise injury prevention a National Goal – work commenced on a National strategy 2000-2005 received a NSW Health Promotion demonstration grant to evaluate the program across NSW 2000 – presented a paper at the International Federation for Hard of Hearing People (Sydney) Noise Injured Farmers – The Forgotten Population This presentation lead to an invitation by Deafness Forum to facilitate a workshop on rural noise at their National forum in Melbourne 2001 – Invited to address the National Advisory Committee in Melbourne on the rural noise injury prevention program & its outcomes The next few years

  11. Change of focus • As a result of the evaluation of the program, it was evident that a much greater emphasis needed to be given to the prevention of hearing loss in the younger farmers • Two thirds (2/3) of older farmers had a hearing loss which was impacting on their day to day lives – they were taking up the use of hearing protection • A RIDIC grant in 2002 enabled further research into the data on younger farmers which showed one third (1/3) had a hearing loss consistent with noise exposure • 65% never used PPE when shooting – a figure which sadly is similar even into the second half of the 2000s • Kids hearing protection obtained

  12. Research with NAL & OAEs • Nurse Audiometrists in the New England were able to work with the National Acoustic Laboratories to measure hearing levels of individuals exposed to noise and compare attitudes of those who are more aware of potential loss to those who are not aware • This involved NAL teaching Nurse Audiometrists how to do OAEs & then these were done with farmers at the Ag-Quip field days in 2001 • The combined research resulted in the publication of 2 papers– Aust. Journal Rural Health (2004) and Noise & Hearing (2004)

  13. Farmers of the Future Farmsafety Field Days • As Farmsafety was expanding across Australia & NSW, local FSAG were set up to address local issues • Tamworth & Moree FSAG were conducting FSFDs – 1995 Wesfarmers worked with Tamworth FSAG & adapted for young farmers and the FFFD were introduced • 2002 - WorkCover decided to fund the development of a training package for Future Farmers education for use across NSW • The Rural Noise Injury Prevention Package is a key component of that package as it is critical to prevent noise injury when the kids are young • The package is currently being re-written

  14. More research • 2002 – Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation funded research into Noise emissions during farm work • Involved visiting farms to measure noise during various activities • Early mornings for milking, late nights driving to next town across NSW & Queensland – driving through cane fields, riding in tractors etc • New brochure developed which shows noise exposure times, levels etc with various types of farm activities • 2 papers produced in the Journal of Agricultural Safety & Health in 2005 & 2006 • Currently another paper due to be published in Canada on the impact that a hearing screening program has on noise reduction strategies - based on the data in the NSW RNIPP

  15. More evaluation & research • An evaluation of the field days effectiveness was undertaken during the years 2001-2003 with funding obtained from the NSW Health Demonstration Research Grants Scheme • This document was finally published this year (2007) • Recently received funding from the Australian Department of Health & Ageing to conduct the “Better Hearing for Farming Families Project” which will look at 3 diversely different communities – Broken Hill, Casino & Tamworth and the best way to provide farm families with noise injury prevention information, access to hearing services, and sustainable strategies which could be replicated across NSW

  16. Current state of play • The NSW Rural Noise Injury Prevention Program is now in its 23rd year and continues to provide farm families with access to hearing screening services in some areas of NSW but continually in northern NSW • There has been a positive shift in the attitude of farmers regarding the hazard to hearing that rural noise imposes & a significant increase in the number of rural workers now protecting their hearing • The program could not be conducted or sustained without the dedication, hard work and good humor of rural Nurse Audiometrists

  17. Questions FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW Thank you

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