HEARING CONSERVATION
 Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission/ Health and Safety Division
www.awcc.state.ar.us    1-800-622-4472    FAX: 501-683-3169 Health&Safety@awcc.state.ar.us

GOAL

This brochure is designed to help industries protect the workers that may have exposures to high levels of noise.

OBJECTIVE 

This information will assist employers with the development of a quality hearing conservation program as required by Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations,  Part 1910.95.  The Health and Safety Division recommends that the employer consult 29 CFR 1910.95 for further information when developing their program.

BACKGROUND

Although noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common occupational “diseases” or conditions, it is often underrated because there are no visible effects and, except in very rare cases, there is no pain.  

It is estimated that there are over nine million workers exposed to excessive noise on a daily basis.  In an effort to prevent hearing loss, OSHA proposed a regulation in 1971 which stated that employees who were exposed to noise levels above 90 dBA for more than eight (8) hours could experience a hearing loss.  Some hearing loss could be permanent.  In later years, it was noted that employees exposed to noise levels above 85 dBA were experiencing hearing loss.  OSHA revised its rule in 1985 to allow no exposure above 85 dBA for an eight (8) hour time-weighted average (TWA) without hearing protection, training and audiometric testing.

EFFECTS OF NOISE

Hearing loss - Hearing loss is the most obvious effect from noise.  Its progression is not always obvious.  In fact, most losses begin as a temporary hearing loss.  After repeated exposures to loud noises, the loss can become permanent.  

Communication Interference - Hearing loss is not the only adverse effect of occupational noise. Noise can mask both the normal communication needed for day-to-day safe working practices, as well as warning signals such as whistles, sirens, etc.

Effects on Performance - The effects of noise on job performance have been studied extensively in the lab, but less in the actual field environment.  At this time, we do not know the effect of noise on all types of job performance.

Annoyance - Annoyance from noise is probably best associated with intermittent noise particularly if the timing of the noise is random.  It also depends on the type of noise.  Some employees who are unable to adapt to the noise in the workplace sometimes quit and seek jobs with less noise.  Others will become “adjusted” to it in time;  however those who thought they had “adjusted” to the noise will often report fatigue, irritability, and sleeplessness, which may be attributed to the noise, and not wearing proper hearing protection.
Noise and Stress Diseases - Some scientists believe that noise can play a role in the development of some types of stress-related diseases.  Many tests and studies in this area have been conducted over the last decade, with mixed findings. 

HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM

An effective hearing conservation program can do more than prevent hearing loss.  It can improve employee morale and general feeling of well-being, it can improve the quality of production, and it may reduce stress-related effects, if any are present. 

The first step of a quality hearing conservation program is to enlist the support and cooperation of management.  Managers and supervisors must understand the effects of noise and be committed to eliminating the problem, whether through engineering or administrative controls or hearing protection.  Managers and supervisors must be willing to wear the protective equipment if they expect their employees to do the same.  The second step after management support is employee commitment.  Employees must believe that a program designed to protect their hearing will work and is for their well-being.  Employees are a good source of information as to what areas of their working environment are the noisiest.  Once support of the program is recognized, it is time to design your program following the next listed six (6) steps. 

1.	Noise Surveys - Noise surveys are necessary to identify employees who are exposed to high noise levels and to identify the machines/equipment that contribute to the high noise levels.  These surveys can be conducted by the employer provided they have an individual qualified to use the appropriate equipment.  If the employer has no qualified personnel, they may opt to contract with an outside consultant who conducts noise surveys.

It is always a good idea to ensure that your employees understand the significance of the noise survey.  This is especially important when using personal noise measuring devices.  If employees understand the importance of the survey, they are more likely to cooperate rather than resist.  The OSHA standard requires that workers exposed to daily (8-hour) average levels of 85 dBA or above be notified of the results of the monitoring.   

2.	Engineering and Administrative Controls - Engineering controls are the best long-term solution to the occupational noise problem.  In some cases, they can be quite expensive while others are surprisingly cheap.  Engineering controls are required to be put into place, when feasible.  If engineering controls are not feasible due to cost or design, administrative controls can be utilized.  If engineering controls are devised and installed, hearing protection must be worn while the controls are being installed.  When considering administrative controls, it is not as simple as rotation of personnel.  Rotation of personnel to protect them from excessive noise levels does not always work.  Instead of protecting a few workers, you may actually be exposing more employees to hazardous levels of noise, thus compounding the problem.  Instead of rotation, consider providing break and lunch areas that have noise level readings of 70 dBA or below.  

3.	Audiometric Testing Program - An audiometric testing program must be implemented for all employees whose noise exposure levels are equal to or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 85 dBA.  Audiometric examinations must be performed by a licensed or certified audiologist, otolaryngologist, or other physician or by a technician who is certified by the Council of Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation, or who has satisfactorily demonstrated competence in administering audiometric examinations, obtaining valid audiograms and properly using, maintaining and checking calibration and proper functioning of the audiometers that are used. 	

Baseline audiograms must be established within six months of an employee's first exposure to noise levels equal to or greater than an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA.  All subsequent audiograms must be compared to the baseline audiogram. The baseline audiograms should be performed for employees after a period of at least 14 hours away from the work place or any non-occupational high level noise.  

Audiograms must be conducted at least annually after the establishment of the baseline audiogram for each employee whose noise level exposure is equal to or greater than an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA. The annual audiogram must be compared to the employee's baseline audiogram to determine if the audiogram is valid and if a standard threshold shift has occurred.  (A standard threshold shift is defined as a change in hearing threshold relative to the baseline audiogram of an average of 10 dB or more at 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 Hz in either ear.)

Allowance should also be made for the contribution of aging (presbycusis) to the hearing level when determining whether a standard threshold shift has occurred. 

4.	Hearing Protection - Along with engineering controls, hearing protection is the other primary method of preventing hearing loss.  But, buying ear plugs or ear muffs is not as simple as it may seem.  If the hearing protection is not carefully selected, employees probably will not wear it, especially if it is uncomfortable.  Proper selection of the hearing protection is important  to an effective program.  The OSHA standard on hearing conservation requires that employers give their employees a choice of hearing protection.  This means at least two or three different types of hearing protection, preferably a choice between ear plugs or ear muffs.  Once the best hearing protection is selected, the employees must be trained in their proper use.

5.	Employee Training and Education - The success of the hearing protection program will be greatly enhanced if employees are properly trained and fitted with good hearing protectors.  Employees must receive training on:

•		Effects of noise
	
•		Fitting, care and use of hearing protectors

•		The advantages and limitations of hearing protectors

•		The purpose of audiometric testing 

•		Company’s noise survey procedures and program 

•		Recordkeeping requirements 

6.	Recordkeeping - The final element of the hearing conservation program is recordkeeping.  While this is not the most important, it is critical to the program’s success.  Records of noise surveys, exposure and hearing threshold must be kept by the employer for evaluation purposes.  The audiologist who conducts the annual audiometric examinations need these records when re-evaluating employees.  These records can be utilized to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.  These records can show if employees are indeed being protected or if there is a threshold shift in their ability to hear.  These records also provide proof that the employer is attempting to comply with regulatory requirements.  Finally, these records will be useful in the event of an employee’s workers’ compensation claims.

REFERENCES  

Videos pertinent to this subject may be obtained, at no cost, from the Arkansas Department of Labor/Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission’s Health and Safety Division Resource Center at (501) 682-9090.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this pamphlet is considered accurate and correct.  For complete information of rules and regulations on the Hearing Conservation Program, consult Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1910.95, and 1926.101.