Hearing Protection
Study Shows Hearing Loss on a Grand Scale in U.S. Population
According to new research, approximately 20 percent of all Americans over the age of 12 suffer hearing loss in at least one ear to such an extent that they may face difficulties communicating...
Defining Work-Related Hearing Loss: Your Questions Answered
Why determining the work-relatedness of a hearing loss case is so important...
Protecting Against Extreme Noise
How much noise is too much noise, and what can we do to protect employees working in extreme noise environments?...
Extreme Environments Call for Extreme Innovative Hearing Protection Solutions
Protecting today’s workers in extreme noise environments is no small feat...
The High Price of Leaving Hearing Loss Unaddressed
People with untreated hearing loss lose as much as $30,000 in income annually, depending on their degree of hearing loss, according to the latest national study by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI). The cost to society is estimated to be as high as $26 billion in unrealized federal taxes...
Stakeholders React to OSHA’s Withdrawal of Proposed Noise Control Interpretation
On Jan. 19, OSHA withdrew its proposal to revise the interpretation of its noise standard, a decision based in part on concerns surrounding the proposal’s associated costs and other resource requirements. While OSHA pledged to seek other approaches to abate workplace noise hazards, several stakeholders spoke up about the withdrawal and its impact on worker safety...
NHCA Addresses “Misperceptions” Regarding OSHA’s Interpretation of Noise Control Enforcement Change
The National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) reiterated its support for OSHA’s announced change in workplace noise control enforcement and seeks to address a number of misperceptions related to this interpretation...
OSHA Announces Stakeholder Meeting, Extends Comment Period on Noise Control Interpretation
On Dec. 6, OSHA announced that it is extending by 90 days the official comment period on the proposed “Interpretation of OSHA’s Provisions for Feasible Administrative or Engineering Controls of Occupational Noise,” which was published Oct. 19 in the Federal Register. Comments may be submitted through March 21, 2011; the agency will hold a stakeholder meeting before this date to listen to the concerns of businesses and workers...
OSHA Reissues Shipbreaking National Emphasis Program, Updates Shipyard PPE Directive
OSHA issued two directives on Nov. 4 to update its National Emphasis Program on Shipbreaking and its Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in Shipyard Employment...
OSHA Seeks Comments on Interpretation of Noise Exposure Controls
OSHA is proposing to issue an interpretation of the term “feasible administrative or engineering controls” as used in the general industry and construction occupational noise exposure standards and to amend its current enforcement policy to reflect the interpretation...
Hearing Loss in U.S. Adolescents More Prevalent
Hearing loss now affects nearly 20 percent of U.S. adolescents age 12-19, a rise of 5 percent over the last 15 years, according to a new Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study....
Workers Are Risking Injury By Not Wearing Safety Equipment
A new survey of safety professionals has found a high incidence of employee noncompliance with corporate and federal mandates to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)...
OSHA Cites Krestmark Industries for Alleged Noise Violations
OSHA cited Krestmark Industries LP with one alleged willful and 10 alleged serious violations following a safety and health inspection at the company’s worksite in Dallas. Penalties total $129,500...
Hearing Protection: It's Not Just About Noise Reduction
More than a desire for noise reduction, a worker’s priorities for comfort, convenience and communication can set the agenda for hearing protection acceptance and effective use...
Noise in Construction
Construction sites can have very hazardous noise levels, and they often are transient situations where different trades come to the site for short periods of time to perform their work...
Expert: Millions Are Losing Their Hearing Unnecessarily
May is Better Hearing Month, but millions of Americans continue to needlessly risk losing their hearing each day, warns audiologist Dr. Cindy Beyer...
Worker Attitudes Towards Hearing Protection, and How to Change Them
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This old adage says a lot about the value of knowledge in changing behavior, and a landmark study sponsored by the UK Health and Safety Executive shows that the adage holds true in the workplace just as much as the village...
NHCA Offers NRR Recommendations to EPA
In response to the impending changes to the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) for hearing protection devices, the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) provided recommendations to EPA to improve the utility of hearing protection devices for occupational hearing conservation programs and for personal use...
AIHA Comments on Hearing Protector Labeling
The American Industrial Hygiene Association has released the comments it made to EPA about 40CFR211 Subpart B, Hearing Protector Labeling, a proposed rule published in the Aug. 5 Federal Register that would de-emphasize the single number rating given to hearing protection devices...
National Hearing Conservation Association Petitions OSHA to Lower Permissible Exposure Limits for Noise
Citing the fact that nearly 22 million American workers are exposed to hazardous noise on a daily basis and that occupational hearing loss continues to plague industry, the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has made a request to OSHA to reduce the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise exposures...
HSE Busts Myth that Concertgoers Need Earplugs
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the agency in the U.K. that regulates occupational safety and health, has moved to silence critics claiming HSE requires audiences to wear earplugs when attending noisy concerts and music festivals...
Review Suggests Weak Support for Workplace Hearing Loss Programs
A new review of existing research claims there is little evidence to support mandatory hearing-loss prevention programs at the workplace and suggests that workers could simply wear earplugs or other devices that protect hearing...
Hearing Protectors 2009: Rating, Evaluation and the NRR
The EPA has decided to update the rule that governs noise reduction ratings - how will these changes impact hearing protection devices? ...
AIHA Asks OSHA to Lower Noise Exposure PEL
American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) President Lindsay E. Booher sent a letter to OSHA Acting Assistant Secretary Jordan Barab asking OSHA to lower the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for occupational noise...
New Web Site Offers Resources for NRR Changes
As EPA works to better align Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR) with real-world use of hearing protection, a number of proposed changes to testing, labeling and regulations are underway. The new Web site http://www.NRRUpdate.com provides the latest regulatory updates, expert insights and resources for implementing these new regulations into the workplace. ...
