NCJ Number
67980
Journal
Police Surgeon Issue: 15 Dated: (APRIL 1979) Pages: 8-17
Date Published
1979
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTS OF GUNFIRE NOISE ON HEARING WERE TESTED ON A SAMPLE OF BRITISH POLICE MARKSMEN IN BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR FIRING RANGES, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A DEAF POLICE OFFICER'S LAWSUIT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.
Abstract
WRITTEN FROM A BRITISH FORENSIC PHYSICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE, THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A 1978 SURVEY OF 53 POLICE MARKSMEN OF THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE CONSTABULARY, CONDUCTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CLAIM OF AN OFFICER BLAMING HIS PRESENT DEAFNESS ON HIS EXPOSURE TO FIREARMS DURING THE LAST 10 YEARS. THE INVESTIGATION WAS MADE MORE DIFFICULT BY THE PROBLEM OF MEASURING THE VERY HIGH-LEVEL, VERY SHORT-DURATION NOISE INTENSITIES AND THEN RELATING THE RESULTS TO SUBJECTIVE REACTIONS. INDOOR RANGE GUNSHOTS PRODUCE REVERBERATIONS, WHICH DO NOT OCCUR IN OUTDOOR RANGES; HOWEVER THE FIREARMS USED OUTDOORS ARE LARGER AND NOISIER. AUDIOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN ON ALL POLICE MARKSMEN INVOLVED IN THE STUDY, AND THE CONCLUSION REACHED WAS THAT THE DANGER OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT AS A CONSEQUENCE OF EXPOSURE TO GUNFIRE IS MINIMAL, SUBJECT TO THE PROVISION OF ADEQUATE PROTECTION (I.E., EARMUFFS) AND, OF COURSE, ITS SUBSEQUENT CAREFUL USE. ILLUSTRATIONS, CHARTS, TABULAR DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED.