HEARING CONSERVATION PURPOSE

Transcription

1 HEARING CONSERVATION PURPOSE The purpose of a Hearing Conservation Policy (HCP) is to prevent occupational noise exposures which could lead to noise-induced hearing loss and to comply with existing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations: (29 CFR ). Employees who experience an average exposure of 85 decibels, time-weighted average (TWA), over an 8-hour work shift are included in a Hearing Conservation Program. SCOPE The Hearing Conservation Program establishes requirements for all employees who are expected to be exposed to noise levels equal to or greater than an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 85 decibels. RESPONSIBILITIES A. Safety Officer shall: a. Develop, implement and administer the Hearing Conservation Program b. Provide the technical expertise and equipment necessary to identify work areas and equipment where noise levels equal or exceed 85 dba, c. Provide the technical expertise and equipment necessary to identify, through personnel monitoring, employees whose noise exposure levels equal or exceed an 8-hour Time-Weighted Average (TWA) of 85 dba, d. Periodically re-monitor identified at-risk employees, e. Resurvey work areas and equipment when notified that noise levels may have changed due to facility or equipment modifications, f. Identify potential high noise areas or equipment during routine building activities and measure sound levels to determine need for additional monitoring or protective equipment, g. Determine appropriate type(s) of hearing-protective devices necessary to protect employees hearing, h. Train employees on mandatory elements of the Hearing Conservation Program i. Provide recommendations concerning noise control measures including engineering controls and administrative controls, j. Install signs on doors to areas containing equipment consistently generating noise levels in excess of 85 dba, and k. Maintain records of noise measurements and employee training

2 B. Supervisors shall: a. Identify equipment and locations where high noise levels are suspected, b. Identify to all employees who are suspected to have high noise exposures, c. Ensure all employees with documented high noise exposures enroll in the medical surveillance program for noise, d. Schedule employees subject to the requirements of the Hearing Conservation Program for audiometric testing e. Ensure affected employee participation in annual hearing conservation training, f. Monitor and enforce the use of hearing protective devices when required, g. Implement administrative controls and enforce the use of appropriate engineering controls when applicable, and h. Contact Safety Officer when new procedures are implemented or new equipment is utilized that may affect an employee s noise exposure C. Employees Exposed to TWA Noise Exposures at or Over 85 dba shall: a. Wear and maintain hearing protective devices as instructed, b. Participate in annual training, c. Participate in annual audiometric testing, d. Use only those brands/types of hearing protection devices which are appropriate for the noise exposure, and for which the employees have been trained and fitted, and e. Report to their supervisor any changing conditions that may impact employee noise exposures. D. Employees with Periodic Exposure to High Noise and Whose TWA Noise Levels are below 85 dba shall: a. Wear and maintain hearing protective devices as instructed, b. Participate in initial training, and c. Report to their supervisor any changing conditions that may impact personal noise exposures. E. Safety Officer shall: a. Report results of audiometric testing to employees, b. Report hearing deficiencies (standard threshold shifts) to supervisors, and the employee for follow-up testing, examinations and/or recommendations as appropriate. c. Notify supervisors of affected employees that they must schedule audiometric testing d. Maintain all employee medical records pertaining to the Hearing Conservation Program

3 e. Provide information to employees, as requested, concerning the effects of noise on hearing and interpretation of audiometric testing. Departments or units with employees whose TWA noise exposures do not meet or exceed 85 dba may request hearing conservation services if desired. MONITORING Measurements of noise levels are documented using a sound level meter to identify work areas where employees' exposures may be above hazardous levels requiring more thorough exposure monitoring. Within the area of interest, several different locations are typically measured. Measurement locations might include: 1. In the hearing zone at the employee's normal work location 2. Next to the noise source(s) 3. At the entrance(s) to the work area 4. At other locations within the area where the employee might work If noise levels are below 80 dba in the area, no further routine monitoring will be required for that area. Should any of the noise measurements equal or exceed 85 dba, records shall be maintained as to the noise levels recorded, where they were taken, and the source(s) of the noise. These records shall be updated periodically to determine if any changes have occurred that would warrant re-monitoring of exposed personnel. If any of the measurements approach or exceed a noise level of 85 dba, employees who work in or near the high noise area or equipment shall have their noise exposure determined. RECORDS 1. Sound survey results must be retained for the length of employment plus 5 years. 2. The most current sound survey results must be used to determine employee's most recent noise exposure assessment at the time of the employee's annual audiometric test. 3. The Safety Officer (SO) is responsible for conducting the sound survey and must ensure that a copy of the sound survey results, from which an employee's most recent noise exposure assessment will be obtained, is maintained in the Safety Office. 4. OSHA requires that all employees whose assigned job function has an associated sound level exposure equal to or greater than an 8-hour time- weighted average of 85 dba shall be notified of the results of the monitoring. This can be done by displaying/posting the levels on employee bulletin boards and in the work area.

4 CONTROLS OSHA requires first that feasible administrative or engineering controls shall be utilized to reduce sound level exposure to employees, if possible, prior to issuing personal protective equipment. A. Engineering a. OSHA standards require the installation of engineering controls if it is technologically and economically feasible. b. The Safety Officer determines if each facility meets OSHA requirements for this control. This includes satellite facilities and research vessels. B. Administrative a. Administrative controls are measures which limit the amount of time that an employee works in areas where the 8-hour timeweighted average sound level (TWA) exceeds 90 dba. In order to be considered an Administrative Control, a plan of employee rotation or the scheduling of equipment operation must be developed and utilized. This type of control can be broadly defined by two (2) distinct approaches: 1. Rotate employees between areas above and below 90 dba on a scheduled basis such that the accumulated job function exposure does not exceed the equivalent of an 8- hour time-weighted average of 90 dba. 2. Limiting the operating time of equipment which causes an employee's 8-hour time-weighted average sound exposure level to exceed 90 dba. a. The following are guidelines for implementation of administrative controls: 3. Constraints which may limit the use of administrative controls include: availability of employees to perform the work effectively, safely, and efficiently, and availability of quiet operations. 4. Administrative controls are to be reviewed with the CES Human Resource Manager and other appropriate personnel prior to being implemented. 5. Determination of permissible time working in areas exceeding 90 dba (TWA) for affected individuals must be made by a qualified physician. 6. Supervisors in charge of operations utilizing feasible administrative controls are responsible and accountable for effecting employee rotation. 7. Reasons for not utilizing administrative controls must be documented.

5 8. The use of personal hearing protection devices, such as earplugs or earmuffs, is NOT an administrative control. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT 1. Hearing protection must be worn during the entire shift in areas where the 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (or its equivalent) exceeds 85 dba. 2. The employer will ensure wearing of hearing protection by affected hourly and salaried employees, and must maintain documentation of efforts to encourage and enforce the wearing of personal protection devices. 3. To allow for personal preferences of individual users, several kinds of protectors shall be made available to employees. Each type must attenuate to or below an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (or its equivalent) or 85 dba; therefore, a cross-reference between the Annual Sound Survey and types of hearing protection used must be made. (Information to calculate attenuation is available in NIOSH Document The initial set and all subsequent sets of hearing protectors (including earmuffs) must be fitted/sized under the authority of the (SO). 5. The employer shall ensure that each employee included in this program be trained in the use and care of the hearing protectors. 6. All persons entering posted noise areas are to wear hearing protection regardless of the anticipated exposure period. 7. Transient workers must be provided with and required to wear hearing protection when working in a designated mandatory hearing protection area. The hearing protection must attenuate to or below the equivalent of an 8-hour timeweighted average of 85 dba in any plant noise environment that they may encounter in performing their job assignment. EMPLOYEE TRAINING A. Employee a. Employees included in this program shall be trained and informed of the following: 1. The effects of noise on hearing. 2. The purpose of hearing protectors, the advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation of various types, and instructions on selection, fitting, use and care. 3. The purpose of audiometric testing and an explanation of test procedures. 4. In addition, it is recommended that annual training

6 also include: i. Instruction in employee responsibility to use and maintain noise control devices on existing equipment. ii. Off the job safety information as it relates to hearing conservation. AUDIOMETRIC TESTING PROGRAM An audiometric testing program shall be established and maintained for all employees working in areas where the 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (or its equivalent) equals or exceeds 85 dba. This program must contain the following: A. General Information a. Audiometric tests shall be performed by a licensed or certified audiologist, otolaryngologist or physician or by a nurse or technician who is certified by the Council of Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation or who has demonstrated competence. b. Tests must be conducted at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hertz. B. Acceptable automatic or manual audiometers are those which meet the requirements for limited range pure tone audiometers prescribed in ANSI S , "Specifications for Audiometers". C. If pulse tone and self-recording audiometers are used, they shall meet the requirements of 29-CFR Appendix C. D. Audiometric test rooms shall not have background sound pressure levels exceeding the following (29-CFR Appendix D). a Frequency (Hz) b. Sound Pressure Level (dba) E. Measurement and certification of audiometric test room(s) background sound pressure levels must be done annually. F. Before use each day, a biological calibration of the audiometer must be performed and documented by testing a person or persons with a stable audiometric level. Deviations of 10 decibels or greater require an acoustical calibration. G. Audiometers shall be acoustically calibrated on an annual basis. Deviations of 15 decibels or greater require an exhaustive calibration. H. An exhaustive calibration shall be performed at least every two years in accordance with Sections 4.1.2; 4.1.3; ; 4.2; 4.4.1; 4.4.2; 4.4.3; and 4.5 of the American National Standard Specification for Audiometers, S Test frequencies below 500 Hz and above 8000 Hz may be omitted from this calibration. I. Audiometric test records shall be retained in line with the practice for retaining medical records.

7 Baseline Audiograms A. Pre-employment baseline audiograms must be taken for all employees who have potential for an 8 hour exposure above 85 dba. B. For those current employees without baseline audiograms a baseline shall be established within 6 months of that employee's assignment to an area where the 8-hour time-weighted average sound level equals or exceeds 85 dba. a. (Exception: If mobile test vans are used, the baseline shall be obtained or established within one year, however, the employee must be required to wear personal hearing protection during the entirety of the work shift, until the baseline has been established.) C. Until a baseline audiogram is obtained and a final resolution is reached in regard to STS, all new-hire employees and/or current employees must wear hearing protection for the entirety of the work shift when assigned initially to an area where the 8-hour time-weighted average sound level equals or exceeds 85 dba. D. Testing to establish a baseline shall be preceded by at least 14 hours without exposure to workplace noise. E. Hearing protectors may be used to meet this requirement. Employees shall also be notified of the need to avoid non- occupational noise prior to baseline testing. F. Employee notification relative to audiometric testing is detailed in the next section entitled "Employee Notification and Record Retention". G. The baseline audiogram shall be revised by substituting an annual audiogram for the baseline audiogram when, in the judgment of the audiologist, otolaryngologist or physician who is evaluating the audiogram: a. The Standard Threshold Shift (STS) revealed by the audiogram is persistent; or b. The hearing threshold shown in the annual audiogram indicates significant improvement over the baseline audiogram. Annual Audiograms A. Annual audiograms shall be completed on employees with established baseline audiograms who work in areas where the 8-hour timeweighted average sound level equals or exceeds 85 dba. B. Annual audiograms may be conducted at any time during the work shift but must be preceded by at least 14 hours without exposure to workplace noise. Hearing protectors may be used to meet this requirement Employees shall also be notified of the need to avoid nonoccupational noise prior to audiometric testing. C. Each employee's annual audiogram shall be compared to that employee's baseline to determine if the audiogram is valid and if a Standard

8 Threshold Shift has occurred. This comparison should be done by a physician. D. If the annual audiogram indicates a Standard Threshold Shift a retest may be done within 30 days and considered to be the annual audiogram. E. A physician, audiologist or otolaryngologist shall review all audiograms to determine whether there is a need for further evaluation. If an employee is referred to an outside audiologist, otolaryngologist or physician, the following information shall be provided to this person: a. A copy of the requirements of the Hearing Conservation Amendment. b. The baseline audiogram and most recent audiogram of the employee to be evaluated. c. Measurements of background sound pressure levels in the audiometric test room. d. Records of audiometer calibrations. Standard Threshold Shift A. A Standard Threshold Shift is a change in hearing threshold relative to the baseline audiogram of an average of 10 dba or more at 2000, B. 3000, and 4000 Hz in either ear. C. In determining whether a Standard Threshold Shift has occurred, allowance may be made for the contribution of aging to the change in hearing level by correcting the annual audiogram according to the procedure described in 29-CFR Appendix F. D. The employee shall be notified in writing of a standard threshold shift in hearing level within 21 days of the determination. a. There must be a review and documentation of the employee's exposure to noise. b. Employees not wearing hearing protectors shall be fitted with hearing protectors, trained in their use and care, and required to use them. c. Employees wearing hearing protectors shall be refitted, retrained, and re- instructed in their use, and provided with hearing protectors offering greater attenuation if necessary. d. Unless a physician determines that the Standard Threshold Shift (STS) is not work related or aggravated by occupational noise exposure, when an STS occurs: 1. The employee shall be referred for a clinical audiological evaluation or otological examination, as appropriate, if additional testing is necessary, or if it is suspected that a medical pathology of the ear is caused or aggravated by the wearing of hearing protectors. 2. The employee is informed of the need for an otological examination if a medical pathology of the ear that is unrelated to the use of hearing protectors is suspected. 3. If subsequent audiometric testing of an employee indicates that if

9 the STS is persistent, the annual audiogram from which the STS was determined shall be used as the revised baseline audiogram for subsequent annual audiograms. 4. If subsequent audiometric testing of an employee indicates that the STS is not persistent The employee shall be informed of the new audiometric results. NOTE: Employees whose baseline audiogram is revised due to a persistent STS must wear appropriate personal hearing protection the entire shift in areas where the 8-hour timeweighted average sound level (or its equivalent) equals or exceeds 85 dba, even though subsequent annual audiograms show no standard threshold shift relative to the revised baseline audiogram. AUDIOMETRIC EXAMINATION METHODS A. Employee fills in the history on the audiogram form. B. Examine ear canal for patency and document assessment. Remove excess wax. C. Perform air conduction tests for the following frequencies in both ears: 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, and D. Instruct employee regarding need for adequate hearing protection, provide pamphlets if available. Review prevention of noise-induced hearing loss, use of hearing protection and care of devices. E. Employee should be shown the results of his/her hearing tests immediately if possible. F. Hearing protection must have sufficient attenuation properties to lower the sound levels reaching the ears to below 85 dba (Example. attenuation must exceed 12 dba if ambient noise is 97 dba). G. A proper fit in each ear must be ensured and the employee must be trained in the technique of proper insertion of plugs or application of muffs. NOTIFICATION AND RECORD RETENTION A. All employees working in areas where associated job function exposures are equal to or greater than an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (or its equivalent) of 85 dba must be notified of the following: a. The results of the monitoring conducted in the Annual Sound Survey or the monitoring necessitated by a change in process, equipment orcontrols. The Safety Officer will post a designation of any affected areas. b. The designation which is being utilized by the University to identify those areas in which hearing protection is required. c. His/her most recent noise exposure assessment.

10 d. The mandatory requirement to wear personal hearing protection for the entirety of the work shift: 1. If working in an area where the 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (or its equivalent) is designated as exceeding 85 dba (TWA). 2. If working in an area where the 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (or its equivalent) is equal to or greater than 85 dba (TWA) and the employee's annual audiogram results show a standard threshold shift (STS). Employee Audiogram A. The date, time and place that the annual audiogram will be given. B. If a comparison of the baseline and annual audiogram indicates a Standard Threshold Shift, the employee must be notified, in writing, within 21 days of the determination. C. Unless a physician determines that the Standard Threshold Shift (STS) is not work related or aggravated by occupational noise exposure, when an STS occurs: a. The employee shall be referred for a clinical audiological evaluation or otological examination, as appropriate if additional testing is necessary, or if it is suspected that a medical pathology of the ear is caused or aggravated by the wearing of hearing protectors. b. The employee is informed of the need for an otological examination if a medical pathology of the ear that is unrelated to the use of hearing protectors is suspected. D. If the Standard Threshold Shift is not persistent the employee shall be informed of the new audiometric interpretation by the HPL Personnel office within 21 days. E. Prior to base line or retest audiometric examination, employees shall be informed of the need to avoid non-occupational noise for 14 hours. Record Retention A. Noise exposure measurement records must be retained for the length of employment plus 5 years. B. Audiometric test records must be retained for the length of employment plus 5 years. PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION Proper documentation is essential. Documentation need not be elaborate but should be up-to-date and structured as an integral part of daily operations. The following are recommended documentation practices supportive of our goal to preserve employee hearing: A. Annual Sound Survey results will be kept in the Safety Office.

11 B. Acoustical treatment, administrative and engineering control feasibility studies including impractical controls. Disagreements with study results must be resolved and documented. C. Noise related costs and benefits for all new/rebuilt machinery and equipment. D. Retrofit noise reduction projects including scheduled implementation of successful solutions in other areas. E. Previously installed noise reduction items must be maintained or documented to be impractical. F. Posting of high noise area. G. Instructions to employees regarding usage of personal hearing protectors: a. Safety contacts b. Discipline procedures for failure to wear hearing protection c. Internal audits of hearing protection users H. Records of employees where corrective action was taken based upon analysis of audiograms. I. Maintain records of formal discipline for failure to wear hearing protection. J. Maintain records of internal audits of hearing protection usage. K. Maintain records of employee training to include: name, date, materials covered, and employee's signature. A few signs of hearing loss are failing to catch words or phrases, ringing in the ears, shouting or raising your voice without realizing it and having trouble understanding high frequency sounds in speech. Hearing protection consists of two modes if you are unable to reduce the level of sound. One method is the use of ear plugs; the other is the use of earmuffs. Maximum protection can be achieved by using both. However, with this combination you must be assured that any necessary communication can be heard in the workplace such as warning sounds and directions from co-workers. For more information and/or suggestions contact the Environmental Safety Compliance Officer (ESCO) at or UMCES safety mailto:umces-safety@umces.edu