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It's estimated by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) that 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year. NIOSH recommends that workers be required to wear hearing protection when engaged in work that exposes them to a noise level of 85 decibels (dB) or higher. For example, if you're speaking with someone who is 3 feet away, the noise levels may well be above 85 dB!
Workplace noise may be a problem if a worker:
- Hears ringing or humming in the ears even after leaving the work area
- Must raise their voice or even shout to be heard by someone an arm's length away
- Experiences temporary hearing loss when leaving the work area
Associated effects of excessive noise levels in addition to permanent hearing loss include physical and psychological stress such as headache, elevated blood pressure, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and reduced productivity.
How should worker hearing be protected? In addition to using earplugs or earmuffs, a noise reduction plan should be created. A good noise reduction plan would include the measurement of sound levels and making subsequent workplace changes to actually reduce noise levels.
Sound reduction methods or "noise controls" can include making changes to equipment in the workplace environment (engineering controls) or making adjustments to the workplace to reduce worker exposure (administrative controls). Administrative controls could include limiting the amount of time a worker spends at a noise source, controlling exposure through distance, or operating noisy equipment during shifts with fewer workers around.
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