Agriculture is a hazardous occupation, consistently ranking among the top three most hazardous industries along with construction and mining. Each year hundreds of farmers and ranchers are killed and several thousand are injured. It is relatively easy to quantify these types of occurrences. However, there are other hazards associated with farming that are capable of causing illness or injury that aren't as easy to quantify. Often time exposure to these hazards are not thought to be that significant. Over time, repeated exposure to these hazards can cause injuries or illnesses that reduce the quality of life. Exposure to noise is one such hazard.

Farmers and ranchers carry out many tasks in noisy environments. Driving tractors, operating a chain saw and even working with livestock are activities during which noise exposures may exceed legal and recommended limits. Repeated exposure to loud noise levels will cause permanent hearing loss. A recent study by an Iowa farm clinic found that 70% of the farmers given hearing tests were below normal for their age. Nearly one-third of Central Iowa farmers had hearing loss to tthe degree that a hearing aid was necessary.

Noise induced hearing loss can result from repeated exposure to a noisy environment or from a single extremely loud event. Noisy environments can decrease production, limit communication, and increase the potential for work-related accidents. Working in a constantly noisy environment may also cause fatigue, which can also increase the risk of an accident.

Noise levels are measured using the term decibels. Below is a list of and their corresponding decibel level:

For any event producing a decibel reading of 90 or above, engineering controls should be in use to reduce the noise level. If a feasible engineering control is not available, suitable hearing protection should be worn. According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) noise regulations, exposure to a 90 decibel noise source should be limited to 8 hours. For every 5 decibels a noise source produces the exposure time is cut in half. For 95 decibels, exposure should be limited to 4 hours. Exposure should be limited to 2 hours for 100 decibel exposure. A good rule of thumb regarding noise levels is if you have to shout to communicate with someone three feet away the noise is loud enough to damage hearing.

In North Dakota, researchers evaluated several tractor models to determine how loud they were during operation. Below is a list of some tractor models and their respective decibel levels recoded as part of this research:

To protect hearing when feasible engineering controls are not available use ear muffs or plugs. Ear muffs are more expensive but effective and easy to use. Muffs reduce exposure by up to 25 decibels when worn properly. Ear plugs are cheaper, but must be worn properly to maximize their protective properties. The plugs are made of formable foam, which when inserted properly into the ear canal, gently expand to protect hearing. Ear plugs may reduce noise levels by up to 30 decibels when worn properly and depending on the type of plug. All hearing protection devices are given a noise reduction rating (NRR) that allows for comparison between different products. For extremely noisy environments or events, such as trap or skeet shooting or operating a chain saw, both ear plugs and muffs could be used to maximize protection. Both types of hearing protection are available at sporting good stores, safety supply stores, and through licensed audiologists.