Noise Exposure Evaluation and Control

Noise Exposure Evaluation and Control are conducted to assess:

• Worker Exposure / Overexposure to Noise
• Need for Hearing Conservation Programs
  • Hearing (Audiometric) Testing
  • Engineering Controls
  • Hearing Protection Devices
  • Administrative Controls
• Community Noise Levels
• Workers’ Compensation Noise Litigation Support
• Speech Interference
• Effectiveness of Control Approaches
• OSHA and Community Noise Compliance

Simply stated, noise is unwanted sound. It is well documented that as sound levels increase so does hearing loss as well as other undesirable health effects. Additionally, noise can interfere with communication which can result in accidents (particularly around moving equipment), reduced productivity, and increased error rates.

What can be done to diminish or eliminate these undesirable effects caused by noise?

Employee Noise Compliance

A typical approach to assess employee exposures and the related complaints may include:

• Sound level measurements, both instantaneous and integrated
• Noise dosimetry on employees
• Octave band analysis
• Evaluation of variables
• Sound level mapping
• Data analysis, including noise levels and audiometric
• Recommendations for controls to reduce or eliminate exposure
• Hearing Conservation Program development, review and revision recommendations.

1Source Safety and Health can also provide consulting to assess potential noise exposure prior to the installation of new equipment. This will allow for the development and implementation of engineering controls to reduce sound emissions and transmission before equipment installation.

Community Noise Compliance

The professionals at 1Source Safety and Health have the experience and expertise to quantitate noise emissions from facilities that have significant noise generating sources such as cooling towers, vehicle traffic, ventilation and dust collectors, grinding equipment etc. These noise sources become more of a concern to communities between the hours of 10:00 pm and 7:00 am and when the noise impacts sensitive receptor sites such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, residential areas, parks etc.
Need more information, or a proposal? Please click on Information Request, or contact Colin J. Brigham, CIH, CSP, CPE, CPEA, Vice President Safety Management and Ergonomics at 888.873.9983, Ext. 24 or cbrigham@1ssh.com.

Featured Articles:

Can You Hear Me Now?

What you need to know about occupational hearing loss

Unlike the commercial tagline, “Can you hear me now?” while checking cell phone reception, employers need to be asking employees, “Can you hear me now?” to ensure that employees aren’t developing occupational hearing loss. You need to have programs in place to control, anticipate, recognize, and evaluate excessive noise levels. You need to C.A.R.E.!

Why should you C.A.R.E.? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations against companies for failing to have effective hearing conservation programs.

Some examples of these citations include

• An $89,750 penalty to a Franklin, Massachusetts, box manufacturing company, issued in June of 2002
• A $49,500 penalty issued in April of 2004 to a Wallingford, Connecticut, manufacturer of wire rods
• A $94,880 penalty to a Bronx, New York, recycling company, which included a violation of the hearing conservation standard, issued in January of 2001

OSHA also is moving forward on expanding the hearing conservation program requirements for construction workers. It has held stakeholder meetings around the country in 2004 and is getting ready to offer new guidelines and requirements.

Why is OSHA concerned? Despite having a hearing conservation standard for over 25 years, occupational hearing loss is not being reduced. One way OSHA can try to reduce hearing loss is by increasing the number of inspections it performs that address noise levels.

As an example of what OSHA is looking for, Brenda Gordon, OSHA area director for southeastern Massachusetts, said this regarding the Franklin, Massachusetts, box manufacturing company, “OSHA’s hearing conservation standard requires employers to take effective steps to protect the hearing of workers who are exposed to high noise levels. These include annual audiograms for exposed workers, notifying these employees if testing reveals deterioration in hearing ability, and referring them for medical evaluation, if needed. These safeguards were not provided for all exposed workers at this plant.”

Why else should you care? Compensation for hearing loss can be very expensive! While compensation rates vary from state to state, payment for total hearing loss in both ears due to occupational exposure in the state of Pennsylvania is currently $167,440. That is for one individual.

Preventing hearing loss in your employees and eliminating the potential for OSHA fines and large workers’ compensation awards is a multi-step process. It begins with evaluating the noise exposure levels of your employees, which is a relatively quick process that documents not only the level of noise, but also the frequency of the noise. It ends with always being able to answer YES to “Can you hear me now?” If you need help with this or any other part of your hearing conservation program development or implementation, please contact Colin J. Brigham, CIH, CSP, CPE, CPEA, Vice President, at 888-873-9983, ext. 24.

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