Evaluating Workplace Noise Exposure Hazards

Evaluating Workplace Noise Exposure Hazards

Do your employees understand the nature of hearing loss? Do they know how to evaluate their noise exposure in the workplace? Below is some information to convey to your employees.
Hearing loss is any reduction in the ability to hear compared with that of a normal person of our age. There are two types of hearing loss:

• Temporary hearing loss (temporary threshold shift) may occur immediately following a high noise exposure. However, this loss is only temporary; a few hours, and full hearing will be restored.
• Permanent hearing loss (standard threshold shift) is the result of permanent damage to the inner ear.

Hearing loss often goes undetected because it is a gradual and pain-free process but there are some signs you should be aware of. Signs of hearing loss include:

• Difficulty hearing people speak. Do people have to speak up or repeat what they say for you to hear them?
• Inability to hear certain high-pitched or soft sounds. Do you have trouble hearing the ticking of a clock or a watch?
• Noise or ringing in the ears
• Getting complaints that the radio or TV volume is too high

In order to know if we are at risk of hearing loss, we must evaluate our noise exposure to determine if it is hazardous.

• The first step in evaluating our noise exposure is to conduct a noise survey. A noise survey will:
• Identify and characterize high-noise sources
• Identify employees who are impacted by high-noise levels
• Next, the noise exposure of employees at risk of high noise exposures are evaluated. Because employees move about during their workday, a noise dosimeter is typically used. The dosimeter records all the noise levels and computes the average noise exposure level for that particular employee. This information can be transferred to other employees that do similar jobs.
• Monitoring is repeated whenever a change in production, process, or equipment influences noise-level exposures.