Too loud for conversation is loud enough for hearing loss
Did you know that noise-induced hearing loss is the most common of all occupational diseases? In fact, hearing loss is the largest chronic disability in North America. This is an alarming fact, particularly given that noise-induced hearing loss is completely preventable.
While it isn’t always easy to spot, hearing loss is physically debilitating and has a devastating effect on contact with family, friends and co-workers. Once it has occurred, damage is irreversible and there is no medical or surgical cure to restore hearing.
What is noise and when is it a hazard?
Noise is unwanted sound. The higher the noise levels and the longer the exposure to noise, the more likely it will be harmful. Noise is the main cause of hearing loss, but when it is combined with chemicals, vibration and extreme heat, it can also lead to deafness.
A good rule of thumb is, if employees need to raise their voices to talk in the workplace, then the noise level is high enough to cause hearing loss.
How does it happen?
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs gradually, is rarely painful, and takes about five years of continuous exposure to develop. Because of this, people don’t realize this disease is affecting them until it’s too late and the damage has become irreversible.
The gradual nature of hearing loss explains why younger workers don’t seem to suffer any noticeable effects, while many older or retired workers have hearing problems. Young people are most at risk because most hearing loss occurs in the early years of exposure, though effects often only become apparent at older ages.
What can employers do?
It is possible to manage the risks from exposure to noise and the effects of hearing loss. The process begins with leadership at the organization.
Employers can incorporate hearing loss prevention into health and safety programs by establishing, managing and monitoring a “noise control hearing conservation program.” This shows commitment to a safe workplace culture and demonstrates to employees that they matter. A good hearing loss prevention program is also good business. It promotes good labour relations, increases productivity, and reduces disability management, illness and lost-time claims.
Minimize risk
The primary goal of any noise control hearing conservation program is eliminating or controlling noise in the workplace. To effectively control noise, it’s important for a company to establish exposure standards. As a provision for hearing protection, the hazardous daily noise limit has been legislated in Ontario at a daily limit (eight hours) of 90 decibels — the noise level of a subway train or a lawn mower.
If a worker is exposed to a sound level of 90 decibels or greater, measures should be taken to reduce the sound level below 90 decibels, and the duration of exposure shouldn’t exceed that shown in the table at the bottom of the page. Workers should also wear hearing protection.
When setting these standards, workplaces are encouraged to exceed minimum requirements for compliance, rather than meeting the legal standards.
Noise controls are intended to eliminate or manage hazardous exposure to remove or minimize the risk of hearing loss. By reducing noise by even a few decibels, one can reduce the risk to hearing. In some cases, the application of a relatively simple noise control solution, such as providing regular maintenance or lubrication to machinery, can reduce the exposure to below a hazardous level.
In other cases, the noise control and reduction process may require more complex interventions. Engineering controls require modification or replacement of equipment or making some other physical changes at the source or path of the noise. For example, noise can be reduced at the source by installing mufflers or interrupting the noise path by installing acoustical enclosures and barriers.
Consulting an acoustic engineer is the best way to obtain assistance in incorporating engineering controls. Make sure to also consider engineering controls for the future. These could include specifying low noise levels when purchasing new equipment or including plans for noise control in any plans for new facility construction or renovation.
Enforce protection
Employers should also institute administrative controls such as making changes to work schedules or daily operations to reduce an employee’s exposure or duration of exposure to any hazardous noise. Facilities could limit the operating of a noisy machine to every second or third shift, or shift an employee to a less noisy job once a hazardous daily limit has been reached.
Identifying locations or tasks where hearing protection is required is also an administrative control. Post signage or perhaps install a flashing light to identify a noisy area. Organizations can even provide a “noise map” of the workplace to highlight where hearing protection is required.
Personal hearing conservation
If noise in the workplace can’t be avoided or when noise is above recommended exposure limits, personal protective equipment must be used to provide employees with control over exposure. Employees must be properly fitted with hearing protection that is suitable to the exposure, provides personal comfort, and for which they are trained in its maintenance and use. Ultimately, the best hearing protection to use is the one that works and the best way to determine effectiveness is to perform annual audiograms.
Employee training
Even if an organization institutes all of the controls described above, success won’t occur without employee education and training, which are critical elements of a good noise control hearing conservation program. Mandatory seminars and training sessions are essential to obtaining the sincere and energetic support of management and the active participation of employees.
Leadership and commitment are key
As with any new program, senior management commitment and leadership are essential to success. Managers need to establish organizational noise exposure standards and targets and then motivate and inspire staff to participate in health and safety.
The major challenge in decreasing and eliminating noise hazards is educating employees that they shouldn’t take noise for granted. Formal education sessions, joint health and safety audits, audiogram testing and counselling, role modelling of hearing protectors, and signs and visual reminders of the noise hazard all serve to remind employees to protect their hearing.
Pre-placement audiograms should be performed on new hires to provide a baseline measurement of hearing. Annual audiograms should then be performed and compared to the baseline. Audiograms should also be performed when a worker is leaving the company. By reviewing the results of these audiograms with employees, HR can ensure that staff become partners in protecting their hearing.
Employees educated in noise safety have the tools to raise their level of awareness so that they can ask the right questions of supervisors and co-workers — before they become hazards. Supervisors need to listen and follow up promptly on action requests posed by employees. Through ensuring that employees are properly educated, organizations can ensure that staff will also be aware of protecting their hearing when engaged in noisy activities outside of the workplace.
Christine Johnston is manager of noise-induced hearing loss for Ontario’s Workplace Safety & Insurance Board. For more information, contact her at (416) 344-6699.
Volume control
While it isn’t always easy to spot, hearing loss is physically debilitating and has a devastating effect on contact with family, friends and co-workers. Once it has occurred, damage is irreversible and there is no medical or surgical cure to restore hearing.
What is noise and when is it a hazard?
Noise is unwanted sound. The higher the noise levels and the longer the exposure to noise, the more likely it will be harmful. Noise is the main cause of hearing loss, but when it is combined with chemicals, vibration and extreme heat, it can also lead to deafness.
A good rule of thumb is, if employees need to raise their voices to talk in the workplace, then the noise level is high enough to cause hearing loss.
How does it happen?
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs gradually, is rarely painful, and takes about five years of continuous exposure to develop. Because of this, people don’t realize this disease is affecting them until it’s too late and the damage has become irreversible.
The gradual nature of hearing loss explains why younger workers don’t seem to suffer any noticeable effects, while many older or retired workers have hearing problems. Young people are most at risk because most hearing loss occurs in the early years of exposure, though effects often only become apparent at older ages.
What can employers do?
It is possible to manage the risks from exposure to noise and the effects of hearing loss. The process begins with leadership at the organization.
Employers can incorporate hearing loss prevention into health and safety programs by establishing, managing and monitoring a “noise control hearing conservation program.” This shows commitment to a safe workplace culture and demonstrates to employees that they matter. A good hearing loss prevention program is also good business. It promotes good labour relations, increases productivity, and reduces disability management, illness and lost-time claims.
Minimize risk
The primary goal of any noise control hearing conservation program is eliminating or controlling noise in the workplace. To effectively control noise, it’s important for a company to establish exposure standards. As a provision for hearing protection, the hazardous daily noise limit has been legislated in Ontario at a daily limit (eight hours) of 90 decibels — the noise level of a subway train or a lawn mower.
If a worker is exposed to a sound level of 90 decibels or greater, measures should be taken to reduce the sound level below 90 decibels, and the duration of exposure shouldn’t exceed that shown in the table at the bottom of the page. Workers should also wear hearing protection.
When setting these standards, workplaces are encouraged to exceed minimum requirements for compliance, rather than meeting the legal standards.
Noise controls are intended to eliminate or manage hazardous exposure to remove or minimize the risk of hearing loss. By reducing noise by even a few decibels, one can reduce the risk to hearing. In some cases, the application of a relatively simple noise control solution, such as providing regular maintenance or lubrication to machinery, can reduce the exposure to below a hazardous level.
In other cases, the noise control and reduction process may require more complex interventions. Engineering controls require modification or replacement of equipment or making some other physical changes at the source or path of the noise. For example, noise can be reduced at the source by installing mufflers or interrupting the noise path by installing acoustical enclosures and barriers.
Consulting an acoustic engineer is the best way to obtain assistance in incorporating engineering controls. Make sure to also consider engineering controls for the future. These could include specifying low noise levels when purchasing new equipment or including plans for noise control in any plans for new facility construction or renovation.
Enforce protection
Employers should also institute administrative controls such as making changes to work schedules or daily operations to reduce an employee’s exposure or duration of exposure to any hazardous noise. Facilities could limit the operating of a noisy machine to every second or third shift, or shift an employee to a less noisy job once a hazardous daily limit has been reached.
Identifying locations or tasks where hearing protection is required is also an administrative control. Post signage or perhaps install a flashing light to identify a noisy area. Organizations can even provide a “noise map” of the workplace to highlight where hearing protection is required.
Personal hearing conservation
If noise in the workplace can’t be avoided or when noise is above recommended exposure limits, personal protective equipment must be used to provide employees with control over exposure. Employees must be properly fitted with hearing protection that is suitable to the exposure, provides personal comfort, and for which they are trained in its maintenance and use. Ultimately, the best hearing protection to use is the one that works and the best way to determine effectiveness is to perform annual audiograms.
Employee training
Even if an organization institutes all of the controls described above, success won’t occur without employee education and training, which are critical elements of a good noise control hearing conservation program. Mandatory seminars and training sessions are essential to obtaining the sincere and energetic support of management and the active participation of employees.
Leadership and commitment are key
As with any new program, senior management commitment and leadership are essential to success. Managers need to establish organizational noise exposure standards and targets and then motivate and inspire staff to participate in health and safety.
The major challenge in decreasing and eliminating noise hazards is educating employees that they shouldn’t take noise for granted. Formal education sessions, joint health and safety audits, audiogram testing and counselling, role modelling of hearing protectors, and signs and visual reminders of the noise hazard all serve to remind employees to protect their hearing.
Pre-placement audiograms should be performed on new hires to provide a baseline measurement of hearing. Annual audiograms should then be performed and compared to the baseline. Audiograms should also be performed when a worker is leaving the company. By reviewing the results of these audiograms with employees, HR can ensure that staff become partners in protecting their hearing.
Employees educated in noise safety have the tools to raise their level of awareness so that they can ask the right questions of supervisors and co-workers — before they become hazards. Supervisors need to listen and follow up promptly on action requests posed by employees. Through ensuring that employees are properly educated, organizations can ensure that staff will also be aware of protecting their hearing when engaged in noisy activities outside of the workplace.
Christine Johnston is manager of noise-induced hearing loss for Ontario’s Workplace Safety & Insurance Board. For more information, contact her at (416) 344-6699.
Volume control
| Ontario Ministry of Labour Noise level standards | |
| Sound level in decibles | Maximum exposure in hours per 24-hour period |
| 90 | 8 |
| 92 | 6 |
| 95 | 4 |
| 97 | 3 |
| 100 | 2 |
| 102 | 1.5 |
| 105 | 1 |
| 110 | 0.5 |
| 115 | 0.25 or less |
| Over 115 | No exposure |
