Hearing Conservation

Introduction

The employer must assess the workplace for noise hazards, take appropriate measures to eliminate or control noise and protect workers from any hazards that are found. The employer must develop and implement a continuing, effective hearing conservation program whenever employee noise exposures are equal to or exceed an 8-hour Time-Weighted Average (TWA) of 85 decibels.

Monitoring

Monitoring must be conducted when any employee’s exposure may equal or exceed an 8-hour TWA of 85 decibels. If it is determined through noise monitoring that employees are exposed at or above an 8-hour TWA of 85 decibels, then the employees must be provided with:

1. Annual hearing tests;
2. Annual hearing conservation training;
3. Hearing protection (optional or mandatory);
   The OSHA Hearing Conservation Standard posted; and
4. Notification of the results of the sound survey.

If the noise level exceeds 90 decibels, engineering and administrative control measures must be investigated, evaluated and, where feasible, utilized to reduce employee exposures. It is important that any measure investigated, utilized or evaluated to reduce the noise levels be documented. Hearing protection is mandatory for employees exposed at or above an 8-hour TWA of 90 decibels.

Audiometric Testing

This is more commonly referred to as a hearing test. An audiometric testing program is comprised of two types of tests or audiograms: baseline and annual. Audiograms are used to document an employee’s hearing level. The baseline audiogram must be conducted within six months of confirmation of an exposure equal to or exceeding the 85 decibel action level. It establishes a reference point to which future annual audiograms can be compared. The initial annual audiogram must be conducted within one year of the baseline. Subsequent audiograms must be performed annually.

By comparing the annual to the baseline audiogram, the employer can evaluate whether an employee has experienced any recordable hearing loss during this window of employment. This hearing loss is referred to as a standard threshold shift.

Hearing Protectors

Employers must make hearing protectors available to all employees exposed to an 8-hour time- weighted average of 85 decibels or greater at no cost to the employees. Hearing protectors must be replaced as necessary. Should the audiogram results indicate a standard threshold shift has occurred, the affected employee must be fitted (or refitted) with hearing protectors, trained on the proper use of them and required to wear them. The employee must be informed of the standard threshold shift and may be referred for further audiometric testing. Employees must be given the opportunity to select from a variety of suitable hearing protectors provided by the employer. The employer must ensure proper initial fitting and supervise the correct use of all hearing protectors.

Training

The employer must institute a training program and ensure employee participation. The training must be repeated annually for each employee included in the hearing conservation program. Information provided during training must be updated to be consistent with changes in protective equipment and work processes. The employer must provide training in the use and care of all hearing protectors provided to employees.

The employer must ensure that each employee is informed of the following:

1. The effects of noise on hearing;
2. The purpose, advantages, disadvantages, attenuation, fitting, use and care of protectors; and
3. The purpose of audiometric testing and an explanation of the test procedures.

Recordkeeping

The employer must maintain an accurate record of all employee exposure measurements for two years and all of the audiometric test records for a given employee for the duration of the affected employee’s employment. This record must include:

1. Name and job classification of the employee;
2. Date of the audiogram;
3. The examiner’s name;
4. Date of the last acoustic or exhaustive calibration of the audiometer; and
5. Employee’s most recent noise exposure assessment.
6. The employer must maintain accurate records of the measurements of the background sound pressure levels in audiometric test rooms.