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the workforce, and generally participates in management decisions that impact the noise environment
or the HCP itself. For instance, one means of noise control is to establish a procurement policy that
limits the decibel output of new equipment to a prespecified level; the HCP coordinator should be
involved in such purchase decisions and in ensuring that criteria for noise emissions are met.
An audiologist, nurse, otolaryngologist, or other physician may conduct audiometric tests on employ-
ees and maintain a database for the test records. Industrial audiometry for OSHA purposes may also be
conducted by a technician who is certified by the Council of Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Con-
servation (CAOHC), but this individual must ultimately be responsible to a professional audiologist or
physician. The person who performs the audiometric test function may also be involved in helping the
worker select an appropriate HPD (with input from the noise exposure records) and in educating and
training the worker about the hazards of noise and the proper use of protection.
The work supervisor or foreman may also provide input to the HCP. For instance, in cases where
workers are rotated on and off noisy machines to limit their exposures (a type of administrative counter-
measure), the supervisor should be consulted to determine feasible rotation schemes. Furthermore, it is
imperative that the supervisor exhibits good hearing conservation practice himself
herself and provide
specific feedback to the HCP coordinator about occurrences that impact the success of the HCP, such as a
machine that has become noisy due to lack of maintenance or a worker who is uncomfortable with his
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her assigned HPD and therefore repeatedly takes it on and off. Because of his
her close relationship and
proximity to production employees, the foreman or supervisor can serve as a key individual in helping to
motivate the workers to exercise good hearing conservation practice, both by serving as a role model and
an information resource.
Some large companies have an acoustical engineer on staff while others may need to hire such an indi-
vidual when engineering noise control becomes necessary. The acoustical engineer can perform in-depth
spectral analyses of specific noise sources and design noise control solutions. Furthermore, acoustical
engineers can be helpful in the overall design of the HCP, in that the specialized knowledge they
possess will be useful in considering tradeoffs in dollar cost-to-decibel reduction benefits when compar-
ing various countermeasure strategies.
If the company has a safety engineer on staff, this individual should serve on the hearing conservation
committee and participate in noise-related decisions that impact safety in other ways. For instance, if
noise levels increase in an area where acoustic alarms signal the approach of an automated material trans-
port vehicle, the safety engineer will need to work to increase the alarm's output to maintain detectability
or use an alternate warning system, such as a flashing strobe, to maintain vehicle conspicuity. The safety
engineer may also work with the HCP coordinator in selecting appropriate hearing protection for
employees who must maintain communications in hazardous areas. In some small companies, the
safety engineer may, in fact, have responsibility for the HCP itself.
Involvement and commitment of the proper hearing conservation and safety personnel, support of
company management, and a trained and motivated workforce are all important to the success of a prop-
erly designed and implemented industrial hearing conservation program. Such a program can markedly
reduce noise-induced distractions and interference on the job, and, above all, prevent the tragic and irre-
coverable occurrence of occupational hearing loss in workers.
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References
1. Stevens, S. S. (1936). A scale for the measurement of a psychological magnitude: loudness. Psycho-
logical Review, 43, 405-416.
2. Stevens, S. S. (1972). Perceived level of noise by Mark VII and decibels (E). Journal of the Acoustical
Society of America, 51(2, pt. 2), 575-601.
3. Zwicker, E. (1960). En verfahren zur berechnung der lautstarke. Acustica, 10, 304-308.
4. Kryter, K. D. (1994). The Handbook of Hearing and the Effects of Noise. New York: Academic Press.
5. Sanders, M. S. and McCormick, E. J. (1993). Human Factors in Engineering and Design, 7th edition.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
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