Safety and Health Program- Hearing Conservation Upgrade Chapter

(Please click your "Back" button to return to the previous "Upgrade Page")

Noise and Hearing Conservation Program

Introduction:

Evidence is well established that worker exposure to noise of sufficient intensity and duration can result in hearing damage. Noise-induced hearing loss rarely results from just one exposure; it can progress unnoticed over a period of years. Initial noise-induced hearing loss occurs at the higher frequencies where the consonant portion of speech is found, making communications difficult.

Engineering controls such as mufflers on heavy equipment exhausts or on air release valves are required where possible. If engineering solutions cannot reduce the noise, administrative controls such as increasing the distance between the noise source and the worker or rotation of jobs between workers in the high noise area should be used if possible.

Noise exposure is often not constant and is difficult to control with either engineering or administrative solutions. Hearing protection is often the only choice available.

Employees will be given the opportunity to select hearing protective devices from a variety of suitable ones provided by the Safety and Health Manager. In all cases the chosen hearing protectors shall have a Noise Reduction Ratio (NRR) high enough to reduce the noise at the ear drum to 85 dB(A) or lower.

Audiometric testing will be provided by the Company's physician to all employees with exposure to noise levels of 80 dB(A) or greater.

Area noise monitoring will be conducted by the Safety and Health Manager using a sound level meter to determine the need for personnel monitoring or engineering controls. If any work areas register levels of 80 dB(A) or greater, personnel monitoring will be conducted. Personnel monitoring is accomplished by using noise dosimeters which are worn by employees for their full work shift. The cumulative noise dose for the employee is then read at the end of their work shift.

Policy:

It is the policy of the Company to provide employees with a safe and healthful working environment. This is accomplished by utilizing facilities and equipment that have all feasible safeguards incorporated into their design. When effective engineering controls are not feasible, or when they are being initiated, administrative controls will be used when and where possible followed by the use of personal protective equipment.

The primary goal of the Company's Hearing Conservation Program is to reduce, and eventually eliminate hearing loss due to workplace noise exposures. The program includes the following elements:

a. Work environments will be surveyed to identify potentially hazardous noise levels and personnel at risk.

b. Environments that contain or equipment that produces potentially hazardous noise should, wherever it is technologically and economically feasible, be modified to reduce the noise level to acceptable levels.

c. Where engineering controls are not feasible, administrative controls and/or the use of hearing protective devices will be employed.

d. Periodic hearing testing will be conducted to monitor the effectiveness of the hearing conservation program. Early detection of temporary threshold shifts will allow further protective action to be taken before permanent hearing loss occurs.

e. Education is vital to the overall success of a hearing conservation program. An understanding by employees of the permanent nature of noise-induced hearing loss, the Company hearing conservation program, and the employee's responsibilities under the program are all essential for program effectiveness.