Deafening Sound NPRN Series
Part 1 (Nov. 21), Producer's Script

NOISY FARMS
Ludden
11/20/00


IT'S FOUR MINUTES PAST THE HOUR, I'M KEITH LUDDEN

Nat sound
tractor
EVERY YEAR, THOUSANDS OF TRACTORS AND FARM MACHINES FAN OUT ACROSS NEBRASKA FIELDS TO PLANT, CULTIVATE, AND HARVEST CROPS. WHILE THERE ARE MANY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATING FARM MACHINERY, ONE HAZARD OFTEN GOES UNNOTICED (Nat sound up full and back under) ....
NOISE. DR KENYA TAYLOR IS A RESEARCHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-KEARNEY WHO HAS BEEN STUDYING THE EFFECTS OF NOISE ON FARMERS

Taylor
1:20:11 Farms are very noisy .... to damage hearing

AND AUDIOLOGIST DR STEVE BONEY SAYS IT'S NOT JUST THE LARGE MACHINES THAT CAUSE A PROBLEM. FARMERS ALSO USE CHAINSAWS AND OTHER TYPES OF NOISY EQUIPMENT

Nat sound
engine in shop
20:48 (fadeup, then
fade under and out)

AND FOR EXTENSION SAFETY ENGINEER DAVE MORGAN THE WORST OFFENDERS ARE THE SMALL GAS ENGINES

Morgan
57:10 They're usually .... high sound levels

DR TAYLOR HAS BEEN TRACKING NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS ON THE FARM IN NEBRASKA AND NEARBY STATES FOR FIVE YEARS,

Taylor
1:21:02 And what we're seeing ... in the high frequencies

IT IS THOSE HIGH FREQUENCIES THAT HELP THE LISTENER TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOME CONSONANANTS, SAY, AN 'F' OR AN 'S,' WHEN SOMEONE SPEAKS TO THEM. AS THOSE FREQUENCIES DETERIORATE, SPEECH BECOMES MORE MUFFLED AND DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET.

BRENT SAMPSON IS A TEST ENGINEER FOR THE NEBRASKA TRACTOR TESTING LAB ON THE U-N-L CAMPUS

Sampson
37:29 I grew up ... some in my right ear (tight)

TRACTORS THAT DO NOT HAVE CABS ON THEM OPERATE AT ABOUT 90 DECIBELS. ACCORDING SAMPSON, THAT'S ABOUT THE LEVEL THAT CAN CAUSE HEARING DAMAGE OVER A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME.

Sampson
37:02 So it's probably ... hearing damage (tight)

SAMPSON SAYS MANUFACTURERS HAVE BEEN MAKING TRACTORS WITH CABS THAT ARE QUIETER. DURING THE 1970'S, THE NOISE LEVELS IN THE TRACTOR CABS DECLINED, AND THE LOWEST LEVELS WERE RECORDED IN THE 1980'S, BUT AS SOME COMPANIES LOOKED FOR COST SAVINGS, THE LEVELS ROSE AGAIN SLIGHTLY. ACCORDING TO MORGAN, IT'S NOT JUST THE SOUND LEVELS, BUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME FARMERS SPEND ON TRACTORS

Morgan
56:00 The tractor ... cause some problems

TO SOME EXTENT IT IS THE OLDER FARMERS WHO HAVE BEEN MOST AFFECTED BY NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS, BECAUSE MUCH OF THEIR WORKING LIVES WERE SPENT ON TRACTORS THAT DID NOT HAVE SOUNDPROOFED CABS. BUT TAYLOR SAYS YOUNGER FARMERS AREN'T IMMUNE

Taylor
1:22:14 Actually, we're ... working on the farm

SOME FARMERS, SAYS TAYLOR JUST ACCEPT HEARING LOSS AS SOMETHING THAT GOES WITH THE JOB, BUT, SHE SAYS IT'S PREVENTABLE WITH THE PROPER EDUCATION AND HEARING PROTECTION EQUIPMENT. AND MORGAN SAYS SOME YOUNGER FARMERS ARE CATCHING ON AFTER WATCHING THE FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERS SUFFER HEARING LOSS. TOMORROW IN THE SECOND PART OF OUR SERIES, WE'LL EXAMINE NOISE IN THE WORKPLACE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN ALSO TUNE IN TO NEBRASKA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION'S DEAFENING SOUND, TUESDAY NIGHT A SEVEN CENTRAL 6 MOUNTAIN TIME, FOLLOWED BY A LIVE TLEVISION CALL IN SHOW. FOR NEBRASKA PUBLIC RADIO, I'M KEITH LUDDEN