Occupational hearing loss is the most common work-related injury in the United States. Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work and an additional 9 million exposed to ototoxic (toxic to the ear) chemicals. An estimated $242 million is spent annually on workers’ compensation for hearing loss disability. It’s estimated that $200,000 of hearing loss costs (per individual) are due to lost work productivity over a worker’s lifetime. Are your workers well-protected? How often should you check on this?
Noise levels not only change over time, they also vary in different areas of the facility — often so widely that different hearing protection is required for various work areas or, occasionally, various tasks in the same work area. Recognize “noisy spots” and periodically take readings in these problem areas. Repeat monitoring whenever a change in production, process, equipment or controls increases noise exposures to the extent that additional employees may be exposed or hearing protection device attenuation is inadequate. At a minimum, conduct annual assessments — or even more frequent assessments in previously identified “noisy spots.”