Ear plugs may be required if sound levels are too high in the workplace.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is a federal department that oversees the safety of employees in the workplace. One of its standards establishes the level of noise an employee may be exposed to and protect employees' hearing if the noise level is too high or prolonged.
Significance
The human ear can detect 400,000 different sounds and is so sensitive that it can pick up soft sounds that cause vibration in the eardrum of less than 1/80 millionth of an inch. Hair cells in the ear are the main receivers of sound waves and loud sounds can damage these cells. If the cells are destroyed by prolonged exposure to loud sounds, the result is hearing loss. Hearing loss cannot be cured, so prevention is key to protecting the eardrum.
Requirements
OSHA requires employers to establish a hearing conservation program if employees' exposure to noise is equal to or greater that 85 dBA averaged over eight hours. The dBA scale measures higher sounds within the range of human hearing. In addition, if the noise levels are above 90 dBA for eight hours, 92 for six hours, 95 for four hours, 97 for three hours, 100 for two hours, 102 for one and one half hours, 105 for one hour, 110 for one half hour or 115 for one quarter hour or less, employers must provide further protection in the form of engineering or administrative controls or ear protectors.
Identification
A noise problem may be present if employees must shout at one another to be heard, suffer ringing in the ear after work or cannot hear normal sounds for a period of time after work. If these conditions are present, employers should conduct a sound survey to determine the need for hearing protection. A qualified professional should monitor sound in the entire workplace to find problem areas, estimate the level of sound that employees are exposed to and measure the noise level of machinery in all modes of operation.
Prevention/Solution
There are three methods to reduce the sound level that employees are exposed to or protect their hearing. Engineering controls change the amount of sound or the direction in which it travels. Replacing a noisy machine with a quieter one, or building an enclosure for that machinery, are examples of engineering controls. Administrative controls reduce an employee’s time near loud equipment. Rotating employees or shutting down equipment when not needed are examples of administrative controls. If these controls do not sufficiently reduce the noise level, hearing protection is needed. Examples of hearing protection are earplugs or earmuffs.
Features
A hearing conservation program is designed to make the employer aware of the levels of sound and to ensure protection of the hearing of all employees. A hearing conservation program monitors the exposure of employees to noise over the course of the day, tests the hearing of each employee for deterioration, provides hearing protection if necessary and trains employees in their use, keeps records of all hearing tests and monitoring and provides those records to the employee.
Tags: hearing protection, conservation program, hearing conservation, hearing conservation program, noise level, after work, eight hours
