The purpose of the Hearing Conservation Program is to better ensure that employees at risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) are adequately protected against the hazardous effects of noise. This involves:
- Determining who is at risk (i.e., which employees are overexposed to noise).
- Developing and implementing control measures to protect those employees; and,
- Monitoring the effectiveness of the control measures at preventing NIHL.
The following steps should aid you in developing your hearing conservation program.
1. Determine which employees are overexposed to noise
- To determine which jobs or departments have employees
exposed to noisy tools, equipment, or operations, walk around
the workplace and listen. Noise is often defined as
"unwanted sound." Is conversation
difficult, or would you need to speak louder than normal
(e.g., in a typical office environment) to effectively communicate
with a person next to you? If so, employees are potentially
overexposed to noise.
- Perform initial noise monitoring in areas where noise
is present. Information about evaluating employee
exposures to noise is included in the section on Monitoring
Results.
- Where the noise monitoring results indicate that employees
are exposed to noise above 85 dBA as an 8-hour average (50%
noise dose), employees are overexposed to noise, and should
be included in the company's hearing conservation program.
2. Develop and implement a written hearing conservation program.
The written program should include:
- Policy statement outlining management's commitment;
- Noise monitoring procedures;
- Audiometric testing procedures;
- Description of control measures;
- Description of hearing protection devices, if utilized;
- Training programs; and,
- Recordkeeping procedures.
3. Provide audiometric tests to employees included in the hearing conservation program.
- Baseline audiograms should be performed on employees at
the time of or as soon after employment as possible.
Future audiograms are compared to this one to determine
if an employee's hearing is deteriorating.
- New audiograms should be obtained every year to monitor
the effectiveness of the hearing protective devices worn
by the employees included in the HCP.
- Mobile testing services may be utilized to perform and
evaluate the audiograms. More information on audiometric
testing is available in the section on Audiometric
Testing Programs.
4. Develop and implement a training program for all employees included in the hearing conservation program.
The training program must provide employees with the following information;
- Effects of noise on hearing;
- Purpose of hearing protection devices (HPDs);
- Instruction on the selection, fitting, use and care of HPDs;
- Advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation (levels of protection) of various types of HPDs; and,
- Purpose of audiometric testing and explanation of test procedures.
Training should be provided to new employees as part of their indoctrination, and should be repeated annually for all employees in the program.
5. Provide hearing protection devices to employees included in the hearing conservation program.
- Select and purchase hearing protection devices which will
attenuate the noise levels to which employees are exposed.
Initial monitoring data will provide the necessary information
to determine the level of attenuation needed. Several
types of hearing protectors may need to be purchased to
obtain a proper fit on all employees in the program.
- Ensure all employees in the program obtain a proper initial
fit. Most audiometric testing firms will assist with fitting
HPDs. Initial fitting should include an anatomical check
of the ear canal and eardrum by a qualified individual before
insert-type HPDs are used. More information on proper
selection, fitting, use, and maintenance of HPDs is included
in the section on Hearing
Protection Devices.
6. Determine if engineering controls and equipment noise reduction are feasible. OSHA requires employers to reduce noise to at least 90 dBA where feasible.
- Review principles of Noise
Control to determine if any of these principles might
apply in your noisy work areas.
- Talk to a noise control materials supplier in your area
about your noise-producing equipment. See if they
have materials or controls that can help.
- Plan for purchases of new and replacement equipment with
noise control in mind. Are quieter models available?
Are noise-reducing accessories (baffles, silencers) available?
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