Page 55 - OHS, October 2020

The use of hearing protectors can preserve an employee’s hearing when noise cannot be engineered out of the workplace.
Proper Training
At the end of the day, hearing protection is only part of the solution for reducing hearing loss and hearing related injuries in the workplace. If employees don’t understand the hazards associated with noise and become acclimated to the use of the hearing protection devices, wearing hearing protectors might seem like a nuisance.
That’s why employers must also ensure that employees are using the protection device properly by implementing a hearing conservation program that includes thorough and comprehensive training in addition to providing suitable hearing protection. Your hearing conservation program should include annual audiograms, training, providing a choice of hearing protectors to employees, and various other elements. Employers should refer to OSHA regulations for details.3 Employers should also look to see if their state has its own program. State regulations will be at least as stringent as the Federal Regulation. They can be stricter and possibly have additional requirements.
And so, employers, in short, in order to reduce hearing loss in your workforce, you must understand that there is noise problem.
Professional help should be sought out in evaluating the extent of the problem and then different engineering and administrative controls, as well as hearing protection should be used to mitigate the noise.
Jeff Birkner is the VP of Technical Services at Moldex-Metric, Inc. and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist. He holds an M.S. degree in Environmental Health Sciences, a B.A. in biology from New York University and a Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from UCLA. He has more than 35 years of experience in the practice of Industrial Hygiene.
Chris Arey is the Product Marketing Specialist at Moldex-Metric, Inc. He spearheads the content creation process at Moldex and has over six years of technical writing experience across the PPE, regulatory compliance, and healthcare policy industries.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/default.html
2. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/noisehearingconservation/evaluation.html
3. https://www.osha.gov/enforcement/directives/04-00- 004#:~:text=The%20Hearing%20Conser vation%20Amendment%20to%20 the%20OSHA%20Occupational%20noise%20exposure,(TWA)%20of%20 85%20dBA.
The 3-in-1
S5® Safety Cutter!
Bladeless Tape Splitter
Work Safer
and Smarter
Safety Cutting Guard
Left handed version also available
Integrated Film Cutter
www.phcsafety.com
(800) 229-2233
Email: info@phcsafety.com
Circle 8 on card.
wwwU.notihtlesdo-5nli1ne.com OCTOBER 2020 | Occupational Health6&/17S/2a0fet1y1:52 A5M1 OH & S Ad July 2020