Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Helmet
Ear Plugs
Ear Plugs
FIgure 23.11
Examples. of. hearing. protectors. for. workers.. (
Source:
. Courtesy. of. the.
National.Mine.Health.and.Safety.Academy.)
shown.how.to.use.and.care.for.their.protectors.and.must.be.supervised.on.
the.job.to.ensure.that.they.continue.to.wear.them.correctly.
.
7.. Employee. training. is. very. important.. When. workers. understand. the. rea-
sons.for.their.hearing.conservation.program's.requirements.and.the.need.to.
protect.their.hearing,.they.will.be.better.motivated.to.participate.actively.
in. the. program. and. to. cooperate. by. wearing. their. protectors. and. taking.
audiometric.tests..Employees.exposed.to.TWAs.of.85.dBA.and.above.must.
be.trained,.at.least.annually,.in.the.effects.of.noise;.the.purpose,.advantages,.
and.disadvantages.of.various.types.of.hearing.protectors;.the.selection,.it,.
and. care. of. protectors;. and. the. purpose. and. procedures. of. audiometric.
testing.. The. training. program. may. be. structured. in. any. format,. with. dif-
ferent.portions.conducted.by.different.individuals.and.at.different.times,.as.
long.as.the.required.topics.are.covered.
.
8.. Noise. exposure. measurement. records. must. be. kept. for. 2. years.. Records.
of.audiometric.test.results.must.be.maintained.for.the.duration.of.employ-
ment.of.the.affected.employee..Audiometric.test.records.must.include.the.
name.and.job.classiication.of.the.employee,.the.date,.the.examiner's.name,.
the. date. of. the. last. acoustic. or. exhaustive. calibration,. measurements. of.
the. background. sound. pressure. levels. in. audiometric. test. rooms,. and. the.
employee's.most.recent.noise.exposure.measurement.
Sometimes. the. loss. of. hearing. due. to. industrial. noise. is. called. the. “silent.
.epidemic.”.Because.this.type.of.hearing.loss.is.not.correctable.by.either.surgery.or.
the.use.of.hearing.aids,.it.certainly.is.a.monumental.loss.to.the.worker..It.distorts.
