Hearing Conservation

The Center for Disease Control or CDC estimates that 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise while at work each year. Whether you work at a sports venue, on an airport tarmac, or operate a jack hammer or a saw hearing loss is preventable. Noise may be a problem in your workplace if you ever hear ringing or humming in your ears after you leave work. Another symptom is not being able to hear a coworker an arm’s length away or if you experience temporary hearing loss after leaving work. All these issues are preventable, and your employer should be made aware of any situation that presents a noise-related problem.
The incidence of noise induced hearing loss can be reduced or eliminated through the successful application of engineering controls and hearing conservation programs, When controls are not sufficient or feasible, employers must implement an effective hearing conservation program. Noise, or unwanted sound, is one of the most pervasive occupational health problems. It is a by-product of many industrial and construction processes. Sound consists of pressure changes caused by vibration or turbulence. These pressure changes produce waves emanating away from the turbulent or vibrating source. Exposure to high levels of noise causes hearing loss and may cause other harmful health effects as well. The extent of damage depends primarily on the intensity of the noise and the duration of the exposure.