Establishing an Effective Hearing Conservation Program Sarah E. Mouser, AuD, CCC-A Doctor of Audiology & Customer Relations Facilitator
History of Hearing Conservation In 1969 the first noise regulation was introduced called the Walsh-Healey Act. Established Damage Risk Criteria: Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) 90 dba for 8 hours
History Continues In 1971, the OSHA Noise Standard was passed Requirements if PEL was exceeded: 1. Noise Control 2. Enforcement of Hearing Protection 3. Continuing Successful HCP
History as We Know It In 1981, the OSHA Noise Standard was amended On March 8, 1983 the final form, defines a: Continuing Successful Hearing Conservation Program Under the amendment, all workers exposed to 85 dba TWA (Action Level) are included in the Hearing Conservation Program
Components of a Successful HCP Monitoring (Noise and HPD) Supervision Hearing Evaluations Equipment Requirements Hearing Protection Training and Education Recordkeeping
Noise Monitoring It is required when: Initial determination there is a change in the process or production equipment or controls increase noise additional employees are exposed inform employees of results It is recommended every 2-3 years if there are no changes
Noise Exposures
Permanently Post the OSHA Standard It is required that the standard be permanently posted in a central location. Suggest placing it with other legal postings.
Professional Supervisor Physician Otolaryngologist Audiologist Your Professional Supervisor MUST be Licensed in Your State
Annual Testing Requirements All employees exposed at 85 dba TWA or greater Baseline Testing Requirements: 14 hours of quiet In-plant testing 6 months Van Testing one year
What Information is Required on the Evaluation? Employee Name Job Area Time Weighted Average (TWA) Date of Hire Date of Birth Gender
Equipment Requirements: Audiometer Acoustic required yearly Exhaustive required every 2 years Biological required every day before testing Self-Listening Checks required every day before testing
Equipment Requirements: Hearing Booth Required when: Initial setup Environment changes Relocated Recommended every 3 years if there are no changes
Hearing Protection Requirements Required for employees who are: Exposed to >90 dba TWA Who exhibit an STS Who have not had a baseline Optional for 85-90 dba TWA with no STS
Types of Hearing Protection Devices Earplugs Foam Soft Silicon (Flanged) Earmuffs Custom Earplugs
Fit-Testing in the News In a Best Practice Bulletin issued by an alliance between the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) and OSHA, ear plug fit testing was endorsed as a recommended best practice in reducing occupational hearing loss as well as a metric to assess a hearing conservation program's overall effectiveness. the best hearing protector is the one that is worn properly whenever exposed to hazardous noise
Why Fit-Testing?
Positive Purposes of Fit Testing Can be a valuable training tool Can be used as a train-the-trainer tool Can assist with OSHA required audiometric follow-up procedures Can provide documentation of adequacy and training Can be used to asses the overall effectiveness of your HCP Can aid in the appropriate selection of HPD for new hires Can enable the ability to match the employee s HP attenuation to their noise exposure level
Hearing Protection Monitoring Monitoring of hearing protection shows that hearing conservation is important to the company. Monitoring must be done on an ongoing basis.
ENFORCEMENT!! Include an outline of areas/jobs required to wear HP Disciplinary Protocol such as: Verbal warning Written reprimand Suspension Termination
Hearing Conservation Training Required annually for employees exposed to 85 dba TWA or greater Topics to cover: Effects of noise on hearing Purpose & procedure of annual testing Purpose of hearing protection
How We Hear
The Human Cochlea 17-year old girl Low noise exposure Normal cochlea Receptors intact 76-year old man Low noise exposure Fewer receptors but still intact 59-year old man High noise exposure Damaged cochlea Receptors destroyed
Hearing & Frequencies Nerve cells in the cochlea are tuned to specific frequencies Base of the cochlea is sensitive to high frequency sounds (red dots) Tip of the cochlea is sensitive to low frequency sounds (green dots)
The Audiogram & Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Recordkeeping Records are an essential part of any program. The information contained reflects the quality and effectiveness of the hearing conservation program. Good rule of thumb: Employment + 30 Years!
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