One
of the occupational hazards of life in the modern industrial age is exposure to
noise, both inside and outside the workplace. Acoustic noise can be defined as
unwanted sound and loud sounds of 80 decibels (dB) are considered potentially
hazardous and get hears protected companies in Pakistan prefer osha courses in islamabad. According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders (NIDCD), more than 30 million Americans are regularly
exposed to dangerous levels of sound. According to the EPA the number of people
exposed to damage induced by noise is about 9 million.
When
one goes through osha courses in islamabad The noise is considered a necessary evil and insidious
effects of exposure above acceptable levels are generally not effective,
especially since there are no visible effects. The main effect of excess noise
is hearing loss, whether temporary or permanent, depending on the level and
duration of exposure. What is even less known side effects ranging from sleep
disorders: stress and fatigue, irritability, annoyance and lack of
concentration. Noise-induced lack of attention and consequent loss of effectiveness
are of primary concern in the workplace. It is not only affected productivity,
but the chances of accidents, which affect workers and job security are also
increasing.
Federal
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed standards
for acceptable threshold limits of noise in the workplace and the mitigation of
excessive noise. 29 CFR 1910.95 standards occupational noise exposure, sets
permissible exposure limits for different durations of exposure. Recommend the
level of exposure, according to the rule, is 85 dB A in an 8-hour time weighted
average (TWA) basis. If this limit is exceeded, feasible engineering or
administrative controls must be used. If these controls to reduce sound levels
within the limits of exposure, personal protective equipment (PPE) is to be
provided. Moreover, regardless of the reduction of exposure to noise of 85 dB A
or down to the use of PPE, the employer is implementing a program for
protection of hearing loss.
What
types of ear protection is considered best for specific industry , to know you
have to enroll for osha courses in
rawalpindi
The
rule refers to 1910.95 mandate hearing protection program as the "Hearing
Conservation Program." This program has five parts operational mandate:
(1) Noise Monitoring (2) Evidence of audiometry (3) training for employees (4)
hearing protectors and (5) Maintenance of records.
- Sound levels in the workplace
should be measured to determine which employees to include in the agenda,
the need for hearing protection equipment and its suitability.
- All employees in the program
should be a baseline to determine existing audiometric hearing loss, if
any. Annual tests will be conducted later to evaluate the effectiveness of
the program and the appropriate corrective action as necessary. The rule
requires that audiometric tests are carried out by suitably qualified
personnel, under the supervision of an audiologist or ENT doctor.
- All employees in the program
should receive annual training on the effects of noise on hearing, hearing
protection devices and purpose of audiometric testing.
- Hearing protection devices must
be accessible to all employees in the program.
- Records of worker exposure
(measurement noise), acoustic or exhaustive calibration audiometer and
audiometric records should be updated. These records will be kept for
specific periods of time.
Experience
has shown that effective programs for the protection of hearing loss are
universally beneficial and that both the employer and employees can benefit
from the programs. Employees are protected against hearing loss, fatigue and
general weakness. The employer benefits from improved productivity and employee
morale and enjoy medical workers and reducing compensation costs.
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