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Noise and Hearing Conservation |
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The following references aid in recognizing and
controlling workplace noise hazards.
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Hearing Conservation for the Hearing-Impaired Worker. OSHA Safety and
Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) 12-27-2005, (2005, December 27). Focuses on how
hearing conservation programs can address the needs of hearing-impaired
workers who are exposed to high levels of noise in their workplace.
Industrial hearing conservation programs may not fully
address the specific needs of hearing-impaired workers for hearing protection
and communication.
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Innovative Workplace Safety Accommodations for Hearing-Impaired Workers.
OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB)
07-22-2005, (2005, July 22).
Identifies challenges hearing-impaired workers face
responding to emergencies, working safely around machinery, communicating with
coworkers, and receiving training. Accommodations necessary to address these
challenges may not be part of an employer’s current hearing conservation
practice. This Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) focuses on (1)
Emergency/Evacuation Response Considerations for
Hearing-Impaired Workers and (2) Workplace Safety
and Health Considerations for Hearing- Impaired Workers.
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Evacuation Plans and Procedures. OSHA eTool, (2002, September).
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Alarms. Indicates that
visual signals provide an effective way to alert workers with hearing
loss about an emergency. Only strobe lights are now
recognized by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). [Americans with
Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, (ADAAG)
4.28.1 General]. See
Types of Alarm Devices.
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Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking
Hazards. OSHA Small Business Safety Management Series Publication 3157,
(1999). Also available as a 542 KB
PDF, 74 pages.
Includes a section on noise control which focuses on
three
basic approaches to controlling noise: noise source
controls, noise path controls, and hearing protection.
Noise source controls, which typically consist
of engineering controls, provide the most effective
means of protection since they actually reduce the
amount of noise generated in the workplace.
- Noise
and Hearing Loss Prevention. National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) Safety and Health Topic. Includes links to
information on hearing loss prevention and workplace solutions.
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Hearing Protector Device Compendium. (2003, June). Includes
data about the mean attenuations and standard deviations of the attenuations
provided by the manufacturers on labeling required by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). Also, provides data about protector construction,
materials, and other features that may aid in selection of protectors for
specific situations.
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Learn More About Hearing Loss Prevention. Reports that approximately 30
million workers are exposed to hazardous noise on the job and an additional nine
million are at risk for hearing loss from other agents such as solvents and
metals. Includes a glossary of common hearing loss terms, a noise meter, a free
online hearing test, instructions on how to wear soft foam earplugs and guidance on different types of hearing protection including:
- Expandable foam plugs
- Pre-molded
- Reusable plugs
- Canal caps
- Earmuffs
- Miscellaneous devices
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Industrial Noise Control Manual.
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Publication No. 79-117, (1978, December). Also available as a 10 MB
PDF, 357 pages.
Contains essential information about noise control
technology, as well as a collection of 61 case histories describing
successful noise control projects.
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The Hearing Review - Resources. Provides consumer information,
organizations and links. The Hearing Review is the leading
monthly trade magazine for the hearing health care industry, including audiologists, hearing
instrument specialists, and medical professionals.
- Berger, E., et al. The Noise Manual.
Revised 5th ed. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Press, 2003. Contains a 200+ item
appendix on references for good practice.
- Royster, L. and J. Royster. Noise-Vibration
Problem-Solution Workbook. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene
Association (AIHA) Press, 2001. Includes more than 400 solved problems and
detailed problem discussions. The workbook's chapter headings are very similar to those in
The Noise Manual, and
contains
many new discussions and problems that are not covered in the AIHA's Noise
Manual or other similar reference sources.
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EAR Foundation. Provides information to people who suffer from impaired
hearing as well as for the people who live and work with these individuals.
- EARLog
Series. E-A-R Hearing Conservation/Aearo Technologies. Consists of 21 technical monographs and reference materials that
include the complete, current EARlog series.
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Noise and Hearing - Fact Sheets. Australian Safety and Compensation Council
(ASCC), (2007). Provides a series of 10 fact sheets discussing topics such as
fitting personal hearing protection, hearing, how hearing damage can be avoided,
how noise harms the ear, how managers and workers can reduce noise, how hearing
loss affects your life, and the facts on hearing protection. Additional
information is available through ASCC's
Noise and Hearing and
Noise Control pages.
- Occupational Noise Management. Northern Territory Worksafe, (2003),
458 KB
PDF, 23 pages. Includes training on noise identification and assessment,
noise control, controlling at source, at path and at receiver, program
evaluation and a noise control checklist. Australia has a
National Standard for Occupational Noise.
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