Sound is measured in decibels (dB). According to NIOSH, eight hours of exposure to noise at 85 dB can damage hearing. As noise levels increase, the allowable exposure time before hearing loss occurs decreases.
*Please note that these exposures assume the employee is not wearing hearing protection.
So, which scenario do you think is worse in terms of hearing damage—working in 85 dB of noise for 8 hours or using a chain saw (106 dB) for 5 minutes? That is, of course, if one is not using hearing protection devices (HPD).
For the employees who use HPDs, many do not use these devices correctly. Ear muffs are typically used at a shooting range. Since safety glasses are also worn, the amount of protection is reduced because glasses create a gap or break in the seal of the muffs allowing noise to enter the ear. If foam plugs are worn correctly, typically, more protection is provided.
Mobilear can educate your staff on the correct use and type of hearing protection appropriate for their job. Annual hearing testing is vital to determine if hearing is changing due to noise exposure. Hearing testing also assesses whether HPDs are being used correctly and/or whether a HPD offering greater protection is necessary.
Contact Mobilear for information regarding a hearing program or just for advice on HPDs and hearing. The cost of implementing a hearing program is minimal compared to saving your employees’ hearing, which is invaluable. So which is worse? Exposure to the sound of the chain saw for 5 minutes causes more damage to hearing than 8 hours of exposure to 85 dB of noise.
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