Hearing Protection In The Workplace When does hearing loss, or hearing impairment, become the result of a work-related exposure?  After all, we live in a world where loud noises are common, like from heavy city traffic, or even the music so kindly being shared through the open windows of the car stopped next to you.  And there’s often that person who thinks headphones are speakers and has the music playing loud enough that it can be heard by everyone in the room.  So yes, loud noise is common.  And yes, loud noise can lead to hearing loss. There is no denying that the tools that we use in our lines of work create loud noise, too, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that employees will lose their hearing.  With the proper workplace hearing protection controls in place to eliminate, reduce, and protect against potentially damaging noise exposures, we reduce the chances that our employees will experience occupational hearing loss. Understanding Hearing Damage  How loud does the noise need to be to damage a person’s hearing?  Hearing loss can occur when exposed to 85 decibels of noise averaged over 8 hours.  Let’s put this in perspective.  Normal conversations typically occur at 60 decibels, well below the hearing loss threshold.  Remember those headphones used as speakers?  That music was probably playing at full volume, which can often register as 105 decibels.  Here’s the thing, though.  For every 3 decibel increase past 85 decibels, hearing loss can occur in half the amount of time.  So it only takes 4 hours of exposure to 88 decibels for hearing loss to occur, and 2 hours of exposure to 91 decibels.  Once noise levels exceed 100 decibels, a person can suffer hearing damage in as little as 15 minutes.  The louder the noise, the faster hearing loss occurs. Noise Levels In The Workplace Where do the tools and environments where we work fit into this picture? Air compressors from 3 feet away register 92 decibels, which would take less than 2 hours to cause hearing lossPowered drills register 98 decibels, which would cause damage after 30 minutesTypical factories often register at 100 decibels – that’s 15 minutes of exposurePowered saws can reach 110 decibels from 3 feet away, which could cause permanent hearing loss in under 2 minutes In short, if workers are exposed to these noise levels without protection, then hearing loss is very likely.  The only way to know the exact noise levels that workers are exposed to is to conduct noise monitoring using specialized equipment, though this is only required when exposures are at or above 85 decibels.  Some indications that noise levels may be this high are if employees complain about the loudness of the noise, if there are signs suggesting that employees are losing their hearing, or if the noise levels make normal conversation difficult.  Also consider that these conditions may not occur across the entire work site, but may be limited to a specific task or piece of machinery. How then, do we protect our employees and their hearing? The Importance Of Hearing Protection In The Workplace The best protection we can provide is to eliminate the hazard, by eliminating the need to work with the tools or in the environments that create these noise exposures.  Realistically, though, this isn’t always possible.  We can also work to reduce the noise levels that employees are exposed to.  Some tools and machines are available that are designed to operate at lower decibels, therefore reducing the risk of hearing loss.  We can also implement administrative controls, such as placing a cap on the number of hours that an Want to add a caption to this image? Click the Settings icon. employee can work in a high decibel environment, or limit the hours working with specific tools and equipment. Our final line of protection is our PPE that meets OSHA hearing protection requirements.  Ear plugs and ear muffs can reduce the decibel exposures, providing protection against hearing loss.  Ear plugs provide the greatest amount of protection as long as they are inserted correctly.  Therefore, employees need to be trained to wear them correctly when they are used.  Ear muffs can also reduce the decibel exposures, though not to the extent that ear plugs can.  They are easier to wear correctly, though, which is why some workers prefer them. Some high decibel exposures may be unavoidable to perform the tasks necessary for our operations, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t take steps to protect employees and their hearing while at work.  What they do in their free time, like attending a rock concert (which can peak at 130 decibels), becomes their choice. Creating & Implementing A Plan For Workplace Hearing Protection If you need to create or update your safety management plan to include OSHA hearing protection, we can help. Contact 833-687-8324 for a consultation.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health estimates that approximately 22 million Americans are exposed to hazardous noise levels while at work. Making occupational noise exposure and hearing loss the leading work place injury. For over 40 years the environmental protection agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as many other organizations have been working to implement better and better guidelines to protect workers. Today companies are required to provide hearing protection to their employees as well as annual hearing tests. The most commonly used ear protector is the ubiquitous disposable polyurethane foam earplug. They are cheap, convenient and effective, or are they? The average cost of disposable foam earplugs is roughly $0.20 per pair. Considering the average worker removes the earplugs sometime during the work day and replaces them with a clean pair, say after lunch and the average manufacturing facility has around 100 employees, that averages $14,400 literally thrown away every year. Now multiply that by the 22 million workers exposed and it averages at around 2.6 Billion dollars annually in the US, adding approximately 10 Million pounds of non-biodegradable Poly-Urethane foam to landfills every year. With advances in chemical, digital and printing technologies, we can do much better. Custom-fit molded non-disposable ear-plugs, 2-way radio capable earmuffs, and electronic ear defenders are far more cost effective, convenient and user/environmentally friendly. If half of Americans switched to custom non-disposable hearing protection it would save US companies over $1.39 Billion dollars annually, not including the saving to the environment, environmental clean-up, as well as related medical expenses contributed to occupational hearing loss. The World Health Organization estimates that globally unaddressed hearing loss cost approximately $750-790 Billion annually. 1 in 8 workers in the US have a hearing loss. Our Solution ​NOVA manufactures custom fit ear protection and in the ear audio devices. Our products provide superior comfort and the highest quality sound audio drivers on the market, while offering total occlusion and protection from damaging outside sounds. Our next generation wireless technology, state of the art integrated power matrix, premium high fidelity balanced armatures and uniquely formulated polymer materials consistently outperform and outlast all our competitors. NOVA products are permanent, cost efficient, and multi-functional with the ability to provide noise cancellation and speech isolation. ​Our Advantages ​We use a soft mold polymer material that is hypo-allergenic and non-toxic, that custom molds to the individuals ear while maintaining a permanent form and softness. This allows consumers to reuse a custom molded plug that does not apply any internal pressure to the ear canal. This makes our products much more comfortable, reusable, and eliminates soreness that many experience from use of other products. This is all accomplished while providing full occlusion of the ear canal resulting in much higher noise attenuation levels. Our research and development team utilize in-the-field testing and measurements of sound exposure to develop custom hearing protection solutions for industries while reducing corporate bottom line expense on disposable hearing protection and OSHA compliance liability. Our services are performed by our hearing conservation department professionals. NOVA prides itself on exceptional customer service and product satisfaction. Our permanent, high quality products are guaranteed to be long lasting and maintain efficacy with repeated use. We maintain close contact with our consumer bases to ensure satisfaction and aid in coordinating HCP for corporations that reduce expenditure, waste, and eliminates manufacturers needs for reordering product and warehousing expenditures.