may 2022
 |
Inside the May Issue |
What’s the Solution?
Use Hearing Protectors
Hearing protectors - ear plugs, canal caps and earmuffs - protect the user from hearing loss due to chronic exposure to loud noises.
Engineering and administrative controls
should be used to maintain an average
workplace noise level below 90 dB and if
possible below 85 dB. Worker noise exposure
must be known or estimated. If average
noise levels after using engineering and
administrative controls exceed 90 dB(A),
hearing protectors must be used. Hearing
protectors should be used if the average
noise level exceeds 85dB(A). Hearing protectors
should be selected with consideration
of both the noise exposure and the
conditions on the job.
Hearing protectors typically provide
much less protection in the field than they
do in the laboratory tests used to establish
the noise reduction rating (NRR) that EPA
requires to appear on their packaging.
OSHA recommends that the NRR be "derated" by subtracting 7 dB from the label
value and dividing the remainder in two.
A hearing protector with an NRR of 25 under this formula would be derated to a protection
level of (25db-7db)/2 or 9 dB.
It is critical that hearing protectors be properly inserted and worn, otherwise they may provide little or no protection. Follow the manufacturer's direction carefully. For foam and premolded plugs and canal caps, the outer ear should be pulled out and back with the opposite hand to straighten the ear canal. Foam plugs should be rolled down tightly with no creases, inserted fully and held for a few seconds while they expand. Premolded plugs should be fully inserted. Muffs should be placed snuggly around the ears with nothing disrupting their tight fit with the skin.
Try to reduce the amount of noise in your workplace
The danger of hearing loss is reduced
by lowering the total amount of noise entering
your ears. First, try to reduce your
workplace noise exposure by using quieter
tools, by keeping noisy operations as far
away from you as possible, or by placing
a barrier between you and the noise
source. If you still need to shout to be
heard at arm’s length, you need to use
hearing protectors.
Know or estimate your noise exposure
Noise levels are reported using a logarithmic–
not linear- scale with units called
decibels (dB). Workplace noise is usually
measured with an instrument called a
sound level meter (SLM) that is set to a
filtered scale (the A scale) that weights
different noise frequencies to match their
impact on hearing. Those results are reported
in levels of dB(A). Each 3 dB
change in noise level indicates a doubling
or halving of the noise level. A 10 dB
change indicates a 10 fold difference and
a 20 dB change indicates a 100 fold difference.
The human ear is not very good
at detecting changes in sound level. If a
noise level increases from 80dB to 110 dB
most people will only hear about an 8-fold
increase in sound level even though the
true energy (and risk) difference is 1000
fold. Small changes in dB levels are mportant.
Reducing the noise to your ears
by 5 dB or less can make a big difference
in your chances of retaining your hearing.
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