The Drive-thru area of a restaurant offers young
workers an opportunity for direct interaction with the customer, while
learning food service and money handling skills. Young workers in this area
may also be exposed to the following hazards:
Noise-induced hearing loss is 100-percent preventable.
However, once acquired, hearing loss is permanent and irreversible.
Potential Hazard
Restaurant workers may be exposed to
noise, especially while working in the drive-thru area. Young workers
often wear headsets to hear orders when working at drive-up
windows. Young workers may potentially be exposed to loud headset
background noise while wearing headsets.
Possible Solutions
Young Worker Solutions
Employers have the primary
responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their
workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work
practices of their employers.
Fit headsets properly to your head.
Don't turn headset volumes up excessively high.
See your doctor if you are
experiencing ringing in your ears or problems with hearing.
Employer Solutions
Employers have the primary
responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their
workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work
practices of their employers.
Implement feasible administrative and engineering
controls whenever employee noise exposures
exceed 85 dBA (eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) or a dose
of 50%).
When this occurs, OSHA requires employers to notify
employees, to establish
and maintain a hearing test program, and to train workers how to
prevent occupational hearing loss.
Consider implementing recommended safe work
practices, including:
Adjustable headset
Use acoustical limiting devices in
your headsets. Headsets that use acoustical limiting devices are
designed to provide sufficient protection to keep the noise
level below the level required by OSHA.
Headsets without limiting devices have, in some work
environments, caused employee noise exposures to exceed the
levels permitted by OSHA.
Use good quality microphones in your drive-thru to improve
reception capabilities.
Ensure the headset fits the worker properly. Adjustable
headsets work best. Ask if
alternative ear pieces can be provided to fit different ear
sizes.
Reduce individual employee exposure time to loud noises by rotating workers
through the drive-thru area.
Have a safety and health program that
recognizes and addresses the hazards created by workplace
noise exposure.
Criteria For a Recommended Standard: Occupational Noise Exposure--Revised Criteria. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-126, (1998, June). This publication contains NIOSH policy and recommendations regarding hazardous noise and hearing loss prevention strategies.
Noise Meter. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) . An interactive graphic demonstrating noise levels.
Noise Induced Hearing Loss. National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Hearing Loss and the Occupational Noise Library. Noise Pollution Clearinghouse
Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management at (202) 693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials.
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