Long-term exposure to the noise of a power mower may cause hearing loss.
Imagine what it would be like to listen to a power lawn mower for eight hours a day, five days a week. A power mower produces 90 decibels of sound, according to the Galen Carol Audio website. A decibel (dB) is a unit of measurement used to express the intensity of a sound.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) sets limits on decibel levels and time of exposure to noise at the workplace. For example, a sand blaster or a loud rock concert produces 115 dB of sound, and under MIOSHA regulations, a worker exposed to more than 15 minutes at this decibel level is in danger of hearing loss.
Hearing Test Requirements
Prolonged exposure to loud workplace noises can cause gradual hearing loss.
Work-related hearing loss occurs over time and is not accompanied by pain. It may go undetected without regular hearing tests. MIOSHA requires that employees at risk for hearing loss be given a baseline hearing test within the first six months of employment and once a year thereafter.
Employees are considered "at risk" if they are exposed to noise levels that average 85 dB or higher over an eight-hour work shift or are exposed to higher noise levels for shorter time periods. These at-risk workers must also be given a hearing test when they are transferred out of a hearing-hazardous job or when their employment ends.
Test Administration
Hearing tests must be administered by a certified audiologist.
The employer must support hearing conservation activities by providing resources for hearing tests (audiometric evaluations) or by contracting with mobile test providers or local hearing clinics. All hearing tests must be conducted by a certified audiologist or an audiology graduate student supervised by a certified audiologist.
Before a hearing test, the audiometer equipment must be calibrated and tested to ensure accuracy. In addition, the employee must complete a medical history, and the audiologist must review the medical history before the test.
Test Results
The audiologist gives an employee the results of his hearing test and directions on next steps.
Once the test is completed, the audiologist must review the test results while the employee waits. The audiologist compares the results to those of the baseline hearing test, looking for a "threshold shift" -- a change in hearing of 10 dB or more, especially at a low frequency (soft sounds) or a change in hearing in only one ear (an asymmetrical loss). The audiologist also looks for other indicators of a problem.
If there is a threshold shift, an asymmetrical hearing loss or other indications of problems, the hearing test must be repeated, along with additional tests, as needed. Once the results are reviewed, the audiologist gives the employee the results along with directions on next steps to be taken, if any.
Noise Analysis and Hearing Conservation
Employers must analyze noise levels in the workplace and take steps to protect employee hearing.
Employers are required to conduct a sound-level survey whenever there is a "knowledge or suspicion" that noise levels exceed an average of 85 dB over eight hours or when employees are exposed to louder levels of noise over shorter time periods. In addition, sound-level surveys must be conducted any time production, equipment or administrative changes are made in the workplace that might change the noise exposure for any employee.
The employer is responsible for providing hearing protection equipment for those at risk for hearing loss and must ensure that the protective equipment is used. If the noise level in the workplace changes, the hearing protection equipment must be re-evaluated to determine whether it is adequate for hearing conservation given the change in the noise level.
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