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OSHA News Release
2002 - 08/02/2002 - OSHA ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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TRADE NEWS RELEASE Friday, August 2, 2002 Contact: Frank Meilinger Phone: (202) 693-1999 OSHA ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
Washington -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking comments until November 4, 2002 on whether the agency should add a requirement for a hearing conservation program to its construction noise standard similar to the requirements covering general industry workers. This could include providing hearing protection, hearing tests, and periodic noise exposure monitors, to workers exposed to high noise levels. "Many construction activities involve high levels of noise that can cause hearing loss and create safety hazards," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. "While these difficulties occur in other occupational environments, they are of particular concern in the construction industry, where a variety of activities often occur simultaneously." Every year as many as 750,000 U.S. construction workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels. Among these workers, regular hearing protection is only worn about 15-33 % of the time. In an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR), OSHA is requesting input on whether the general industry requirements should be applied to construction work and, if so, how these requirements should be adapted for the construction industry. OSHA's current construction noise standards require employers to protect workers from hazardous noise and provide hearing protection devices to workers engaged in construction and renovation work when high noise levels are present. Written comments on the agency's consideration of a hearing conservation program for the construction industry must be submitted by November 4, 2002, in triplicate, to the Docket Office, Docket No. H-011G, Room N-2625, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20210, (202) 693-2350. Electronic comments may be submitted to: http://ecomments.osha.gov/. Because of security-related problems in receiving regular mail service in a timely manner, OSHA is requesting that comments be hand-delivered to the Docket Office, or sent by Express Mail or other overnight delivery service, electronic mail, or facsimile. Notice of the proposal is scheduled for publication in the August 5, 2002 Federal Register. ###
This news release text is on the Internet World Wide Web at http://www.osha.gov. Information on this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 693-1999. |
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OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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