Tag: #noiseexposure

OSHA will continue to target hazardous noise in Mid-Atlantic region

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
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Philadelphia — OSHA Region 3 has extended its Regional Emphasis Program focused on industries with high levels of workplace noise.

Under the REP, OSHA will inspect certain manufacturing workplaces in Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, based on North American Industry Classification System codes. The renewed REP adds three industries:

  • Sawmills and Wood Preservation (NAICS code 32111)
  • Other Wood Manufacturing (32199)
  • Ornamental and Architectural Metal Products (33232)

The REP already included:

  • Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (32192)
  • Other Plastics and Product Manufacturing (32619)
  • All Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (32799)
  • Plate Work and Fabricated Structural Product Manufacturing (33231)
  • Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating and Allied Activities (33281)
  • All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299)
  • Ship and Boat Building (33661)

OSHA says hearing loss is a potential hazard for about 22 million U.S. workers. In 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that around 12,000 workers had suffered work-related hearing loss – 9,700 of whom worked in manufacturing.

The agency requires workplaces to establish hearing conservation programs when the average noise exposure during an 8-hour period reaches or exceeds 85 decibels (a gas-powered leaf blower or the sound of city traffic, for example).

“Noise controls are the first line of prevention against permanent work-related hearing loss,” OSHA Region 3 Administrator Michael Rivera said in a press release. “By reducing noise levels even by a few decibels, employers can better protect employees, improve communication and stop excessive noise from distracting workers.”

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Journal spotlights NIOSH’s work on occupational hearing loss prevention

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
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Photo: YasnaTen/iStockphoto

Washington — A special issue of the journal Seminars in Hearing “shines a light” on NIOSH’s efforts to prevent on-the-job hearing loss.

“This special issue recognizes the dedication of NIOSH researchers to prevent a debilitating work-related illness that impacts millions of workers,” NIOSH Director John Howard said in a press release. “It is our hope it will inspire others to join efforts to protect workers’ hearing.”

The agency estimates that 22 million workers face exposure to hazardous noise each year, and around 10 million are exposed to solvents that contribute to hearing loss.

Inside the issue:

Each of the seven articles is free to download.

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

‘Nearly always preventable’: Help workers avoid hearing loss

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Help workers avoid hearing loss

Photo: Gabrijelagal/iStockphoto

From the blare of a forklift-collision warning to the wail of an ambulance siren, noise can make us aware of hazards our eyes haven’t yet seen. But not all noise is helpful.

“At certain levels it can become hazardous,” NIOSH cautions. Repeated workplace exposure to noise that’s 85 dBA or louder can permanently damage workers’ hearing – and even contribute to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

The good news? “Noise-induced hearing loss is nearly always preventable,” NIOSH says. “Reducing workplace noise below 85 dBA is the best way to prevent occupational hearing loss and other effects from hazardous noise.”

Employers can help by:
Buying quiet. “Buy Quiet is a prevention initiative that encourages companies to purchase or rent quieter machinery and tools to reduce worker noise exposure,” NIOSH says.
Monitoring workers’ hearing. NIOSH recommends annual audiometric testing (a hearing test that measures the lowest level of sound someone can hear) for workers who are regularly exposed to noisy environments. “Testing should be performed by a professional certified by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation or equivalent certification,” the agency adds.
Creating a noise map. Use a sound level meter to measure areas in the workplace that are loud, and then map out those locations for workers. No access to an SLM? You can use a sound measurement app. NIOSH has one – go to cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/app.html to find it.
Communicating with workers about noise exposure. Use plain language to explain the risks to your workers. NIOSH recommends sharing your noise maps and posting signs in noisy areas.

October is recognized as National Protect Your Hearing Month.

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Preventing Occupational Hearing Loss

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Preventing Occupational Hearing LossA new online guide to prevent occupational noise-induced hearing loss from NIOSH is now available. The guide walks employers and safety professionals step-by-step through the basics of creating a safer, quieter workplace.

Noise is part of everyday life, but at certain levels it can become hazardous.

Repeated exposures to sounds that are 85 A-weighted decibels (dBA) or higher can cause permanent hearing loss and are associated with other problems including

  • Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Cardiovascular disease

High noise levels can also contribute to serious workplace accidents and injuries. Noise can reduce workers’ awareness of what is happening around them, including signals, alarms, and verbal warnings. Continue reading»

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by NIOSH

You’ve got more time to submit Safe-in-Sound award nominations

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health
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Photo: NIOSH

Washington — NIOSH has extended until Aug. 18 the nomination deadline for its 2023 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award.

The award recognizes organizations that “document measurable achievements in hearing loss prevention,” allowing NIOSH to “obtain and disseminate information on their real-world successes.”

Also eligible are “individuals, organizations and/or business entities from any industrial sector dedicated to fostering, creating, and implementing new and unique evidence-based advances in hearing loss prevention and creating solutions to real workplace challenges.”

To submit a nomination, email nominations@safeinsound.us and explain how the program represents excellence in hearing loss prevention. Also, identify the nominee and include their contact information, along with a brief description of the noise control or other hearing loss prevention interventions that suggest excellence or innovation.

Self-nominations are accepted.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

In new video, workers with hearing loss promote protection

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health
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Photo: National Hearing Conservation Association

Aurora, CO — A new video from the National Hearing Conservation Association aims to raise awareness of on-the-job hearing loss and tinnitus.

During the four-minute video, workers in various industries share testimonials, and NHCA reminds viewers that hearing loss is permanent. The video also encourages workers to:

  • Notice when it’s loud.
  • Move away from the noise.
  • Protect your hearing.

“Don’t take it for granted, because if you lose your hearing, you’re not going to be able to replace it,” Gary, a former tree trimmer, says in the video. “You can maybe help it, but you will never have good ears again.”

Adele, a one-time radio disc jockey who also worked security at music concerts, acknowledges that her hearing loss put her in “denial,” prompting her to turn up the volume on her car radio and TV and think little of it.

“We don’t think about our own health, but it is critical. It really is,” she says. “Look at your hearing protection as just as much a vital part of your PPE as a hard hat or your steel-toed boots. Because if you lose that sense, it is going to impact all areas of your life, from hearing announcements on a plane to hearing somebody whispering sweet nothings in your ear at night, you know. It really can have a profound impact.”

NIOSH notes that all industries carry the risk of hearing loss and estimates that 22 million U.S. workers face exposure to hazardous noise levels at work each year.

“Hearing is a critical, often undervalued part of quality of life,” NHCA says. “Once it is lost or degraded, communication and relationships can be impacted. There can also be a loss of enjoyment of simple activities such as listening to music, enjoying dinner with friends, watching movies and experiencing nature. A loss of hearing can also affect career progression and safety at home and on the job.”

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Half of Noise-Exposed Workers Do Not Use Hearing Protection

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First published by NIOSH

Photo property of NIOSH

Study Finds Over Half of Noise-Exposed Workers Do Not Use Hearing Protection When Exposed to Noise on the Job

Non-use varied by industry and occupation, and was highest among women, young workers, and current smokers

A new study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that over half of noise-exposed workers didn’t use hearing protection “always” or “usually” when exposed to hazardous occupational noise. Hearing protection device (HPD) non-use was only measured in workers who reported exposure to noise on the job. The study was published online October 1, 2021 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

Researchers reviewed nearly 40,000 worker responses to the 2007 and 2014 National Health Interview Survey. They found that of the more than 5,400 workers who experience hazardous noise exposure at work, 53% didn’t “always” or “usually” wear hearing protection.

Industries with the highest prevalence of hearing protection device nonuse were accommodation and food services (90%), health care and social assistance (83%), and education services (82%). Prevalence also was notably high in multiple industries in which occupational noise is a longstanding hazard, including agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (74%) and construction (52%).

“The prevalence of HPD nonuse remains high,” Elizabeth Masterson, study co-author and NIOSH epidemiologist, said in the release. “Increasing worker awareness and providing training about the importance of proper and consistent used of HPDs can protect workers from the effects of hazardous noise. In addition, we need to overcome barriers to HPD use by ensuring that workers have HPDs that are comfortable and do not overprotect from noise so they can hear speech and other important workplace signals.”

The study was published online Oct. 1 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.