2. HEARING CONSERVATION

3. Hearing Loss n Can you imagine not being able to: –Hear music? –Listen to the sounds of nature? –Socialize with your family? n Can you imagine being afflicted with uncomfortable ringing or abnormal sounds that interfere with sleep?

4. The Impact Of Noise n Interferes with communication n Causes fatigue n Distracting or irritating n Reduces morale or efficiency

5. Anatomy Of The Ear

6. The Outer Ear

7. The Middle Ear

8. The Inner Ear

9. n Several animals can hear sounds of much higher frequency, which is why humans do not hear special whistles that may be heard by dogs. n Sounds vary not only in frequency, but also in intensity. Sounds

10. n The measure of sound pressure n The decibel is a relative measure n 5 dBA exchange rate Decibel

11. Permissible Noise Exposure

12. 30 Whisper 90 dB

13. 60 Talking 90 dB

14. 80 Traffic 90 dB

15. 85 Haul Truck Haul Truck 90 dB

16. 86 Loader 90 dB

17. 91 Lawn Mower Lawn Mower 90 dB

18. 103 Impact Wrench Impact Wrench 90 dB

19. 105 Dozer 90 dB

20. 109 Screens 90 dB

21. 110 Chain Saw Chain Saw 90 dB

22. 120 Rock Concert Rock Concert 90 dB

23. 125 Metal Banging Metal Banging 90 dB

24. 140 Jet Airplane Jet Airplane 90 dB Threshold of pain

25. 165 12-Gauge Shotgun 12-Gauge Shotgun 90 dB

26. n NIOSH estimates that 30 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels n At present exposure limits, one in four workers will develop permanent hearing loss Hearing Exposure

27. Two Categories of hearing Loss: Hearing Exposure n Temporary n Permanent

29. n Wax build up n Measles / Otosclerosis n Aging n Head injury n Drugs / Medicine n Chemicals n Heredity Hearing Loss Causes

30. n Fail to catch words n Ears ringing n Shouting without realizing n Trouble understanding high frequency sounds in speech Signs of Hearing Loss

31. Demonstration of Hearing Loss Sound tracks of a male voice, with no background noise –NormalNormal –Loss of 25 dBLoss of 25 dB –Loss of 40 dBLoss of 40 dB –Loss of 60 dBLoss of 60 dB –NormalNormal

32. n Action Level 85 dB - Must inform employees & enroll them in a hearing conservation program n Permissible Exposure Level 90 dB - Must enroll employee in a hearing conservation program, use all controls to reduce exposure, must wear hearing protection n Dual Protection Level 105 dB - Must wear both plugs and earmuffs Noise Standard

33. n Engineering Controls –Eliminate or reduce the noise at the source –Interrupting the noise path –Reducing reverberation n Administrative Controls –Change in work schedule –Quiet areas for breaks –Job rotation Eliminating Noise

34. n Monitoring system n Hearing protection n Audiometric testing n Training n Recordkeeping Hearing Conservation Program

35. Audiograms n Audiometric testing offered n Qualified medical provider n Baseline tests n Annual testing

36. Standard Threshold Shift n Hearing changed by 10 db average n Employee notification within 21 days n Revised hearing protection required n Further medical evaluation

37. Dosimeter Sound Level Meter Monitoring

38. n Listed on the package n How many decibels are blocked n OSHA subtracts the NRR by 50% n NIOSH subtracts the NRR by 25% for earmuffs, 50% for formable plugs, and 70% for all other plugs Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)

39. Reusable and Headband Plugs –25 to 35 dB NRR –Preformed to fit ear –Flexible rubber –Inspect and clean –Replace when hard or damaged Hearing Protection

40. Disposable Plugs –25 to 35 dB NRR –Expandable foam –One size fits all –Insert with clean hands –If damaged or dirty throw them away Hearing Protection

41. Inserting Plugs

42. Earmuffs –22 to 29 dB NRR –Foam filled cushions –Hard to get good seal –Works well with plugs –Replace when stiff or worn Hearing Protection

43. Plugs vs. Earmuffs

44. n Prolonged noise exposure causes permanent hearing loss n Hearing loss is preventable, so wear your hearing protection! Conclusion

45. n Wear this now... n Or wear this later! It’s Really Pretty Simple…..