This week’s #ThinkSafetyFirst blog discusses the importance of our auditory senses and how we can stay safe from occupational hearing loss. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that 22 million Americans work in areas with dangerous noise levels and 30 million work around chemicals that can damage their hearing (ototoxic).
Common Sources of Hearing Loss
- Excessive Noise
- NIOSH recommends that noise levels not exceed 85 decibels (dB) over 8 hours as it can lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
- Ototoxic Chemicals
- Employees must be trained to work safely with all chemicals in their workplace. Review each Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and follow all precautions for safe use.
Keys to Keep You Safe
Protecting our ears at work is important because as we age our hearing worsens. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders says that 1 in 3 adults “…between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss…” Therefore, we must follow these ear protection safety tips while at work.
- Always consult and utilize the hierarchy of controls when addressing workplace hazards (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment – PPE).
- Ensure that PPE has an ample Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) to lower noise exposure below the action level (85 dB, TWA – over an 8-hour workday).
- All workers must be trained in the safe use and handling of chemicals. Employers should utilize competency verification methods and regular refresher training to ensure workers retain this information.