Noise and hearing protection

Hearing is something we take for granted and we subject it to all sorts of excesses. But our ears are very delicate organs and while they will accommodate a certain amount of abuse, they do eventually react and stop working properly. The following sections consider noise legislation, how the ear works and some of the measures that should be taken at work to protect the ability to hear. 

Good hearing is an important feature of a good quality of life - it needs protecting. 

When considering noise certain points need to be understood  

---

Regulations governing the allowable levels of noise and hearing protection requirements for employers to provide employees have been issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The regulations can be found at 29 CFR 1910.95. 

In all hearing protection activities, the first consideration must be to eliminate the source of noise and hence protect all the workforce. However, it is not always possible to eliminate noise emissions completely so action must be taken to reduce emissions as far as possible. This should be done logically following a thought-out strategy. 

Space limits a complete listing of all 16 questions and, unfortunately, military website restrictions preclude a reference to access. Three of the 16 questions and implementation levels in areas of hazard posting, engineering noise controls and hearing protection are included below for a general sense of this concept. Most military unique references have been deleted and minor reconstruction of some levels was necessary to demonstrate this concept for private sector application. Each level should be understood to contain all positive factors in the level below it. 

That s why many of the world s leading companies are turning to Sensear to deliver a smart high noise communication and hearing protection solution. 

If applicable, has the employer implemented a hearing conservation program that includes noise monitoring, use of hearing protection devices, and audiograms [OSHA Reference 1910.95(c)]... 

For arc furnace worker safety, high power electrical systems require proper design and precautions, and handling of molten materials requires a minimum of fire-retardant clothing and often dust masks. Water must be prevented from coming in contact with the melt. Furthermore, since open-arc furnace noise levels commonly exceed 100 dB A, hearing protection is a necessity. Noise is normally not a problem with smelting furnaces. 

There are two levels of protection commonly used by industrial workers to reduce noise levels [32] plugs (see Figure 2.20) and muffs (see Figure 2.21). One or both types may be used, depending on the noise levels. A third type of protection device is a helmet, commonly used by motorcycle drivers, which provides relatively little hearing protection and is rarely used in industry for hearing protection. Therefore, this is not considered further here. 

Nixon, G. W., and Berger, E. H. "Hearing Protection Devices." In Handbook of Acoustical Measurements and Noise Control, edited by G. M. Harris, 3rd ed. Woodbury, NY Acoustical Society of America, 1998. 

Many stone processing operations produce high sound levels. Operators exposure to noise is controlled by a combination of reducing/containing it at source, excluding it from control rooms, and the use of remote cameras with monitors in control rooms. Effective personal hearing protection is still required when operators are required to enter noisy areas. 

Active HeoriM ProtecHoe Devices—are noise-attenuating helmets that provide active noise cancellation, communications features, and attenuation. They reduce noise by introducing destructive cancellation that applies opposite-phase sound waves at the ear. Some are designed for hearing protection and others for one- or two-way communication. 

---