Occupational hearing loss is the most common work-related illness in the United States, costing U.S. employers an estimated $242 million annually on workers' compensation disability costs alone.
Facts and Statistics
- 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise each year.
- In 2007, approximately 23,000 cases were reported of occupational hearing loss that was great enough to cause hearing impairment.
- Hearing loss accounted for 14 percent of reported occupational illness in 2007.
Source: NIOSH
Most occupational hearing loss results from exposure to excessive noise. Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when structures or nerve fibers in the inner ear that respond to sound become damaged from exposure to excessively loud sounds. Neither surgery nor a hearing aid can help correct this type of hearing loss.
Short-term exposure to loud noise can also cause a temporary change in hearing (your ears may feel stuffed up) or a ringing in your ears (tinnitus). These short-term problems may go away within a few minutes or hours after leaving the noisy area. However, repeated exposures to loud noise can lead to permanent tinnitus and/or hearing loss.
Prevention
OSHA legally limits the amount of noise a worker can be exposed to (the permissible exposure limit, or PEL) at 90 decibels (dBA) for an eight-hour day. These limits are based on a worker's time-weighted average over an 8-hour day. The OSHA standard uses a 5 dBA exchange rate. This means that when the noise level is increased by 5 dBA, the amount of time a person can be exposed to a certain noise level to receive the same dose is cut in half.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has found that significant noise-induced hearing loss still occurs at the OSHA PEL, so it recommends a lower limit of 85 dBA for eight hours. It also recommends a 3 dBA exchange rate, so every increase by 3 dBA doubles the amount of the noise and halves the recommended amount of exposure time.
Employers can use three types of controls to reduce employee exposure to potentially damaging noise levels: engineering controls, administrative controls and hearing protection devices.
Engineering controls involve modifying or replacing equipment, or making physical changes at the noise's source or transmission path to reduce noise levels at the worker's ear. Examples of inexpensive, effective engineering controls include:
- Choosing low-noise tools and machinery.
- Maintaining and lubricating machinery and equipment.
- Placing a sound barrier between the noise source and employees.
- Enclosing or isolating the noise source.
Administrative controls reduce or eliminate the worker's exposure to noise by modifying the workplace. Examples include:
- Operating noisy machines during shifts when fewer people are exposed.
- Limiting the amount of time a person spends at a noise source.
- Providing quiet areas where workers can gain relief from hazardous noise sources (e.g., construct a sound-proof room).
- Restricting worker presence to a suitable distance away from noisy equipment. In open space, every doubling of the distance between the source of noise and the worker decreases noise by 6 dBA.
Hearing protection devices (HPDs), such as earmuffs and plugs, offer a less satisfactory but sometimes necessary option. Industrial hygienists recommend their use temporarily, when implementing engineering or administrative controls, when such controls are not feasible, or when workers' hearing tests indicate significant hearing damage.
Taking measures to evaluate noise levels and prevent or limit worker exposure can save money and prevent much suffering. For more information, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program department of Jenkins Leavitt Insurance Services at (877) 860-7378 or, email us @ ProPest@Leavitt.com.