الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
One of the most widespread physical hazards in industrial work environments is excessive noise. Each year, millions of workers worldwide are exposed to hazardous noise at their workplace. Prolonged exposure to excessive noise at workplace may result in occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL), which is a sensorineural hearing impairment that generally manifests as a bilateral, symmetrical and irreversible disorder. The sensorineural hearing loss usually affects the higher frequencies at 4 kHz, with spread to neighboring frequencies of 3 and 6 kHz, and some hearing recovery at 8 kHz. With further noise exposure, the hearing loss can involve the lower frequencies at 0.5, 1, or 2 kHz.
Occupational NIHL has become the most prevalent occupational disease in the world. Global estimates of hearing impairment due to ONIHL range from 7% to 21%, resulting in significant social and economic costs. ONIHL may have a significant effect on the health and quality of life of workers, affecting their ability to communicate and their safety. The construction of new infrastructures such as bridges, flyover exchange highways, buildings, towers, and trains is boosting the global need for steel; this sector employs 50 million people. While steel industry is considered as one of the most important industries in each country, steel plant is considered as one of the nosiest industries in manufacturing sectors.
In less developed countries, like Egypt, little is known about the prevalence of occupational NIHL in the steel industry. Since occupational NIHL is a complex and preventable disease, understanding the distribution of affected workers is crucial for policymakers and stakeholders who plan for preventive services. Therefore, this study was conducted in Egypt to estimate the prevalence of occupational NIHL among workers engaged in the steel industry, identify factors associated with it, and compare hearing