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N O I S E M O N I T O R I N G
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Reducing the Roar
Th e risk of excessive noise isn’t going away. What are the dangers associated with this
unseen hazard and why must employers implement a suitable monitoring program for
noisy workplaces?
BY TIM TURNEY
creasing risk to our hearing and physical health.1 Hearing
The world around us is constantly getting louder, posing in-
loss is the third most common chronic physical condition
among adults but it is entirely preventable with appropriate
engineering controls and monitoring programs.
Employees are not only at risk of noise induced hearing loss
(NIHL) in the workplace but also from the environmental noise
exposure experienced outside of work. Th e onus on employers
to protect hearing loss at work is more prevalent now than ever
before with an estimated 22 million workers in the United States
exposed to hazardous noise levels at work.2
Exposure to excessive noise levels can lead to more than hearing
loss, with research indicating that the likelihood of physical issues
such as increased cardiovascular stress, elevated chance of a stroke
and developing diabetes. All workers and workplaces are diff erent
and require diff erent noise-related solutions, but all noisy workplac-
es stand to benefi t from a rigorous noise monitoring program.
Legislation and Standards for Noise Control
Th e US controls noise in the workplace at a federal level through leg-
islation delivered by health and safety bodies like the Occupational
Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety &
Health Administration (MHSA). Further local legislation may also
apply to noise control by governments or smaller divisions of these
health and safety bodies, meaning employers should actively check
the local legislation of any territories the business operates in.
Th e two main overarching legislation are OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.95
for general industry and 29 CFR 1926.52 specifi c to the construction
industry. Th ese regulations set Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs),
ceiling levels of noise at which employers must action monitoring
and protection, and require employers to implement hearing con-
servation programs when noise levels exceed safe thresholds.
Th e key PEL that employers must be aware of is 85 dBA TWA.
Simply put, when noise levels reach 85 decibels (dB) over an
8-hour time weighted average (TWA), employers must conduct
noise monitoring and issue hearing protection if necessary.
Th ere are ongoing discussions on the necessity to reduce this
action level and some, like the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH), recommend lower levels and smaller
exchange rates. While not legally enforceable, these are considered
best practice guidelines.
Workplace Inspections and Noise Monitoring
OSHA inspectors will conduct assessments at sites during scheduled
inspections, especially at high risk industries, or if a complaint is raised
by members of staff . If noise levels exceed legal limits, inspectors deter-
mine whether employers have implemented required hearing conser-
vation programs or engineering controls. If not, they will likely issue
penalties of varying amounts, depending on state, with some as large
as tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Further failures may
even result in work stoppages or business shutdowns.
To prevent these costly fi nes, employers should regularly
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