Page 66 - OHS, June 2021

IH: NOISE MONITORING
Employers Can Protect Their Workforce from
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
How to build the foundation to protect workers against hearing impairments.
BY TIM TURNEY
Twenty-two million workers are exposed to hazardous occupational noise each year, a figure nearly equivalent to the population of Florida.1 Prolonged exposure to excessive noise levels can cause life-changing damage because the harm to the sensory cells and other structures within the ears is irreversible, resulting in permanent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
NIHL is the third most common chronic health condition in the U.S., affecting one in four adults.2 It results in injuries that can seriously impair a worker’s quality of life. Employers, meanwhile, run the risk of reduced productivity, rising costs due to sickness days, increased costs for training and recruitment and catastrophic penalties and compensation claims. OSHA estimates that employers spend $242 million annually on workers’ compensation for hearing loss disability.3
NIHL damage is, however, as preventableasitispermanent.Workerscan wear hearing protection such as earplugs and earmuffs, but the greatest way to reduce hearing loss is by identifying and avoiding excessive noise in the first place. Research has shown that monitoring noise levels has a significant effect on occupational NIHL4
and can determine whether an operative is at risk of occupational hearing loss before it is too late.
Understanding the Legal Limits
on Noise Exposure
The risk of noise damage occurring depends on the intensity of the noise, distance from the noise source and exposure duration. Consequently, OSHA sets the legal limits on noise exposure in the workplace based on a worker’s time- weighted average over an eight-hour day. OSHA’s maximum permissible exposure limit to noise is 90 dBA (decibels) for all workers. For example, under the OSHA guidelines, a person should not expose him or herself to the sound of a lawnmower that produces around 90 dBA for more than eight hours, even with hearing protection.
Conversely, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that all worker exposure to noise should be controlled below or equivalent to the level 85 dBA for eight hours, a decibel level comparable to the sound of a passing diesel truck. NIOSH designed its recommendations to represent the best scientific practice concerning noise exposure. On the other
hand, the OSHA exposure limit is the minimum legal requirement that must be complied with.
In 1981, OSHA introduced a new regulation requiring employers to implement a hearing conservation program for workers that are exposed to an average noise level of 85 dBA or higher for an eight-hour shift. Hearing Conservation Programs require employers to measure noise levels, provide free annual hearing exams and hearing protection, offer training, and conduct evaluations of the adequacy of the hearing protectors in use. The programs cost around $350 per worker each year, necessitating $70,000 annually for a 200-strong workforce.5 They are mandatory until the employer makes sufficient changes to the tools, equipment and schedules used so that conditions are improved, and worker exposure is demonstrated to be less than the 85 dBA.
Types of Noise Measurements
and Sound Monitoring Applications Measurement of sound or unwanted sound (noise) encompasses a vast range of decibel levels and many diverse applications. The goal of measurement is to assess an individual’s eight-hour exposure, so the noise monitoring process itself may be a quick measurement using a sound level meter if the noise is steady throughout the day. Alternatively, a more comprehensive use of multiple noise dosimeters on many people over several days may be required, depending on the variation in exposure and number of employees.
Using Noise Monitoring toGatherAccurateInsights
Noise monitoring provides accurate insights into the noise levels of your working environment, allowing you to identify problem areas and ensure you adhere to OSHA regulations. With the right equipment, trained health and safety managers, using either a sound level meter
62 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2021
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