| One of the occupational hazards of living in | | | | operational parts mandated: (1) Noise |
| the modern industrial age is noise exposure, | | | | monitoring (2) Audiometric Testing (3) |
| both in and away from the workplace. Acoustic | | | | Employee Training (4) Hearing Protectors and |
| noise can be defined as unwanted sound and | | | | (5) Record Keeping. |
| sounds louder than 80 decibels (dB) are | | | | |
| considered potentially dangerous. According | | | | Noise monitoring |
| to the National Institute on Deafness and | | | | |
| Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), more | | | | Sound levels in the workplace must be |
| than 30 million Americans are regularly | | | | measured to ascertain which employees to |
| exposed to hazardous sound levels. According | | | | include in the program, the need for hearing |
| to the EPA the number of people exposed to | | | | protection equipment and its suitability. |
| work induced noise damage is around 9 | | | | |
| million. | | | | Audiometric Testing |
| | | | |
| Noise is considered a necessary evil and the | | | | All employees in the program must be |
| insidious effects of exposure above | | | | subjected to a base line audiometric test to |
| acceptable levels are generally not realized, | | | | determine pre-existing hearing loss, if any. |
| mostly because there are no visible effects. | | | | Annual tests are to be carried out thereafter |
| The primary effect of excessive noise is | | | | to asses the effectiveness of the program and |
| hearing loss, either temporary or permanent, | | | | for appropriate remedial action as necessary. |
| depending on the level and duration of | | | | The standard specifically requires that the |
| exposure. What is even less well known are | | | | audiometric tests be carried out by duly |
| the secondary effects ranging from sleep | | | | qualified personnel under the supervision of |
| disturbances: stress and fatigue, | | | | an audiologist, otolaryngologist or |
| irritability, annoyance and lack of | | | | physician. |
| concentration. Noise induced lack of | | | | |
| attention and the consequent loss in | | | | Employee Training |
| efficiency are matters of prime concern in | | | | |
| the workplace. Not only is productivity | | | | All employees in the program must receive |
| impaired, but chances of accidents, impinging | | | | annual training on the effects of noise on |
| on worker and workplace safety, are also | | | | hearing, hearing protection devices and the |
| increased. | | | | purpose of audiometric testing. |
| | | | |
| The federal Occupational Safety and Health | | | | Hearing Protectors |
| Administration (OSHA) has developed | | | | |
| regulations for acceptable threshold limits | | | | Hearing protection devices must be made |
| of noise in the workplace and mitigation of | | | | accessible to all employees in the program. |
| excessive noise. The 29 CFR standards 1910.95 | | | | |
| Occupational noise exposure, lays down | | | | Record Keeping |
| permissible exposure limits for different | | | | |
| durations of exposure. The recommend exposure | | | | Records of employee exposure (sound |
| level, as per the standard, is 85 dB A on an | | | | measurement), acoustic or exhaustive |
| 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) basis. If | | | | audiometer calibration, and audiometric test |
| this limit is exceeded, feasible | | | | records must be updated. These records are to |
| administrative or engineering controls are to | | | | be maintained for specific periods of time. |
| be utilized. If such controls fail to reduce | | | | |
| sound levels within the permissible exposure | | | | Experience has shown that effective hearing |
| limits, personal protective equipment (PPE) | | | | loss protection programs are universally |
| is to be provided. Further, irrespective of | | | | beneficial and that both employer and |
| the reduction of noise exposure to 85 dB A or | | | | employees stand to gain from the programs. |
| below with the use of PPE, the employer is to | | | | The employees are protected from hearing |
| implement a hearing loss protection program. | | | | loss, fatigue and general debility. The |
| | | | employer benefits from improvement in |
| The 1910.95 standard refers to the mandated | | | | employee morale and productivity and will |
| hearing protection program as the "Hearing | | | | also enjoy reduced medical and worker |
| conservation program". This program has five | | | | compensation costs. |