10 Steps to Hearing Conservation

Hearing conservation tips

Hearing conservation means protecting your ears from excessively loud sounds:

1. Walk away from loud noises.
2. Turn down the volume.
3. Limit the intensity of the noise by not standing directly near its source.
4. Limit the time you expose your ears to loud noises.
5. Wear earplugs when you’re around sounds of 85 dB and above. (Disposable foam earplugs are inexpensive, easy to insert and effective.)
6. Turn down your CD/cassette player, stereo or iPod.
7. Cross the street when you hear someone operating a leaf blower.
8. Wear earplugs at concerts/go to the back of the nightclub or outside to give your ears a break.
9. Cover your ears with your hands when you’re walking past a jackhammer.
10. In general, if you are standing three feet away from someone and cannot hear what they are saying, the noise level could be damaging to your hearing. More...
    

Noise and Hearing Conservation

Every year, approximately 30 million people in the United States are occupationally exposed to hazardous noise. Fortunately, the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss can be reduced or eliminated through the successful application of engineering controls and hearing conservation programs.

Hearing Conservation

It is estimated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (46 FR 4078) that there are 2.9 million workers in American production industries who experience 8-hour noise exposures in excess of 90 dBA. An additional 2.3 million experience exposure levels in excess of 85 dBA.The Hearing Conservation Amendment (HCA) applies to all 5.2 million employees except for those in oil and gas well drilling and service industries, who are specifically exempted.

Safety Resources:

Hearing Conservation Safety Training Programs