Listen up! Here are OSHA’s Top 5 noise standard violations

Manufacturing floors, airport tarmacs, music venues: What do they have in common? High levels of noise. Exposure to high levels of noise causes hearing loss and may cause other harmful health effects as well. Employers must implement a hearing conservation program for employees whose noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 85 decibels. Following are the top five violations of OSHA’s occupational noise standard.

#1 - 1910.95(c)(1) Failure to administer a hearing conservation program.

Program requirements include provisions for noise monitoring, employee notification, employee observation of monitoring, an audiometric testing program, hearing protectors, training, employee access to information and training materials, and recordkeeping.

But how do you know when the workplace is too loud, and you’re required to implement a hearing conservation program? Consider the following:

• Do you have to raise your voice to talk to a coworker who’s three feet away?
• Do you experience ringing or humming in your ears or temporary hearing loss when you leave work?
• Can you hear warning signals or other directions in the workplace?

These are indications that workplace noise exceeds the action level of 85 decibels. This ties into the second violation to develop and implement a noise monitoring program.

#2 - 1910.95(d)(1) Failure to develop and implement a noise monitoring program.

When information indicates that any employee’s exposure may equal or exceed an 8-hour TWA of 85 decibels, the employer must develop and implement a noise monitoring program. This helps the employer determine whether a hearing conservation program is needed. OSHA outlines monitoring requirements in paragraph (d)(1).

If monitoring results show noise levels equal or exceed the action level, and engineering or administrative controls don’t bring the noise levels down or aren’t feasible, employers must implement a hearing conservation program.

#3 - 1910.95(k)(1) Failure to train employees.

Employees included in the hearing conservation program must be trained annually on the following:

• The effects of noise on hearing;
• The purpose of hearing protectors, the advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation of various types, and instructions on selection, fitting, use, and care; and
• The purpose of audiometric testing, and an explanation of the test procedures.

Information in the training program must be updated when changes are made in personal protective equipment and work processes.

#4 - 1910.95(g)(1) Failure to establish and maintain an audiometric testing program.

The audiometric testing program includes baseline audiograms, annual audiograms, training, and follow-up procedures. Audiometric tests must be made available to all affected employees at no cost to them. While the tests must be made available, employees are not required to test. It’s a best practice to document an employee’s refusal.

#5 - 1910.95(g)(6) Failure to annually offer audiograms.

This goes hand in hand with #4. Audiometric tests must be made available annually to each affected employee.