Page 14 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2017

HEARING PROTECTION
Seven Elements for a Hearing Conservation Program & You
Follow these steps to ensure you have an effective hearing conservation program BY LAURIE WELLS AND TED MADISON
ed hearing loss is to implement seven elements of an effective Hearing Conservation Program. We’ll also review ways safety managers can improve how they protect workers by engaging with them and provid- ing more resources to help both on and off the clock. When an employer is committed to hearing loss pre- vention, employees may be more likely to take interest in protecting their hearing at work and elsewhere.
Seven Elements of Hearing Conservation
3M recommends seven elements for Hearing Con- servation Programs (HCPs) that are based on both OSHA requirements and best practices recommenda- tions from NIOSH. They are Measure, Control, Pro- tect, Check, Train, Record, and Evaluate.
Measure
The journey toward creating an effective HCP be- gins with measurement. Through a thorough noise survey, you can:
■ Identify the need for noise control
■ Determine appropriate hearing protection to reduce risks
Control
Machinery and other operations can exceed the legal limits for noise exposure—but do they have to? Hazardous noise can be reduced by controlling noise at the source or limiting the amount of time a person is working in the noise. Examples of noise reduction strategies include: regular equipment maintenance, isolating workers from noise through soundproof- ing and noise damping, and upgrading to lower-noise tools and machinery.
Protect
Hearing protectors are effective only if they are comfortable, fit properly, and are right for the noisy job. Another factor to consider is worker communi- cation. To help ensure each worker has an appropri- ate hearing protector, 3M recommends conducting individual hearing protection fit testing. The Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR) not only helps confirm a suitable protector option for the worker, but also gives an opportunity to help train the worker on proper in- sertion and use.
Consider engaging employees to help find new so- lutions. If dirty hands are the norm at your work site, consider providing a push-to-fit ear plug that requires no rolling. Employees may also recommend ear plug dispensers at more convenient locations throughout a work site.
And if they are regularly removing their hearing protectors to speak with co-workers, perhaps one with a built-in communication headset could be con- sidered. While making the leap to higher-tech equip- ment may give some organizations pause, the benefits
At least 22 million employees will experi- ence noise at work at potentially damaging levels this year. And the cost for failing to protect workers from noisy environments is not cheap, reports OSHA,1 with businesses paying out more than $1.5 million in 2016 alone.
While OSHA requires employers to provide a “continuing, effective hearing conservation program” for employees who are exposed to hazardous noise, most employers understand and respect the impor- tance of protecting their workers’ hearing.
One easy way to protect workers from work-relat-
14 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2017
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COURTESY OF 3M PERSONAL SAFETY DIVISION