Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (TWU) Statistics

At a glance

  • View hearing loss statistics among Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (TWU) workers.
  • Approximately 13% of all Transportation and Warehousing workers and 27% of all Utilities workers have hearing difficulty.
  • About 7% of all Transportation and Warehousing workers and 12% of all Utilities workers have tinnitus.
  • 59% of noise-exposed Transportation and Warehousing workers and 38% of noise-exposed Utilities workers report not wearing hearing protection.
Large warehouse with boxes on shelves.

Noise exposure and hearing protection

  • About 40% of all workers in Transportation and Warehousing and 43% of all workers in Utilities have been exposed to hazardous noise.1
  • 59% of noise-exposed Transportation and Warehousing workers and 38% of noise-exposed Utilities workers report not wearing hearing protection.2

Hearing loss and tinnitus

  • Approximately 13% of all Transportation and Warehousing workers and 27% of all Utilities workers have hearing difficulty.1
  • About 7% of all Transportation and Warehousing workers and 12% of all Utilities workers have tinnitus.3
  • About 12% of noise-exposed tested TWU workers and 25% of noise-exposed tested Utilities workers have a material hearing impairment45. Hearing impairment is hearing loss that impacts day-to-day activities.
  • 8% of noise-exposed tested TWU workers have hearing impairment in both ears.6

Trends

Trends among noise-exposed tested TWU workers (1981-2010)4

  • The prevalence for TWU decreased 6% over 30 years (1981-2010) as compared with a less than 1% reduction for all industries.
  • The incidence for TWU decreased 4% over 25 years (1986-2010) as compared with a 2% reduction for all industries.
  • The adjusted risk for TWU decreased 52% over 25 years (1986-2010) as compared with a 46% reduction for all industries.
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Graph showing the prevalence of hearing loss by time period and industry sector, 1981-2010, for 1,816,812 workers
Adapted from Figure 1, Masterson et al. 2015
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Graph showing incidence of hearing loss by time period and industry sector, 1986-2010, for 560,320 workers
Adapted from Figure 2, Masterson et al. 2015
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Graph showing risk of incident hearing loss compared to the 1986-1990 time period, by industry sector, for 560,320 workers
Adapted from Figure 3, Masterson et al. 2015

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Content Source:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
  1. Kerns E, Masterson EA, Themann CL, Calvert GM. (2018). Cardiovascular conditions, hearing difficulty and occupational noise exposure within U.S. industries and occupations. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 61, 477-491.
  2. Green DR, Masterson EA, Themann CL. (2021). Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed U.S. workers in 2007 and 2014. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 64(12), 1002-1017.
  3. Masterson EA, Themann CL, Luckhaupt SE, Li J. & Calvert GM. (2016). Hearing difficulty and tinnitus among U.S. workers and non-workers in 2007. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 59, 290-300.
  4. Masterson EA, Deddens JA, Themann CL, Bertke S. & Calvert GM. (2015). Trends in worker hearing loss by industry sector, 1981-2010. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 58, 392-401.
  5. Masterson, EA, Themann, CL. (in press). Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed U.S. workers within the Utilities sector, 2010-2019. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
  6. Masterson EA, Bushnell PT, Themann CL, & Morata TC. (2016). Hearing impairment among noise-exposed workers — United States, 2003–2012. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65(15), 389-394.