Hearing Conservation Program

Hearing Conservation

Excessive exposure to harmful noise may cause auditory fatigue, referred to as temporary threshold shift (TSS). An individual may return to pre-exposure hearing level after a period of hours away from the noise. Repeated exposures causing TSS can change into a permanent threshold shift (PTS), which would also be considered permanent hearing loss or noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). NIHL is an irreversible condition that progresses with amount of exposure.

The OSHA Action Level for exposure to harmful noise over an eight-hour period is 85 decibels (dBA). Employees who are regularly exposed to occupational noise levels at or above 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour period or a single noise dose of 50% the exposure limit are included in the Hearing Conservation Program.

This program is intended to protect employees from hearing loss due to occupational noise exposure through exposure monitoring, audiometric testing, hearing protector use, training, and methods of control to reduce or eliminate the exposure.

Noise Assessments

An employees exposure to harmful noise may be determined through the use of noise assessments. If a change in production, process, equipment, or controls may increase the noise exposure, monitoring may be repeated in that area or during that process.

Area Noise Assessments

This type of assessment consists of a walkthrough of the working area with a sound-level meter to identify operations or areas where employees may be exposed to hazardous noise levels. This provides an overview of noise exposure, which may change depending on shift or process changes.

Area noise assessments are also used to identify areas on campus where noise levels exceed 90 dBA, which would always require the use of hearing protection.

Personal Noise Monitoring

This type of assessment consists of using a noise dosimeter that stores sound levels over time. The dosimeter is attached to the employee’s clothing near their ear while they move about and provides an average noise exposure reading for a given time (8-hr workday).

Hearing Protection

The use of hearing protection is required:

For employees exposed at or above the 85 dBA 8-hour time-weighted average action level
During operations or in areas where the ambient noise levels meet or exceed 90 dBA
In areas posted or otherwise designated as requiring hearing protection

Hearing protection should be provided by departments to employees. Hearing protection devices should have a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) that ensures the employee’s noise exposure does not exceed the exposure limit of 85 dBA.

To determine the appropriate NRR, Appendix B, 1910.95, Oregon OSHA Methods for Estimating the Adequacy of Hearing Protector Attenuation must be followed. It is recommended to consult with EHS to ensure the proper protection is acquired.

Resources

Below is a comprehensive list of resources available from Oregon OSHA, SAIF Corporation, and the CDC.

Hearing Conservation Program