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Â鶹´«Ã½ Environmental Health and Safety

Spotlight on Safety

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 8 | August 2024

Hearing Conservation

Certain tools and equipment, such as drills, lawnmowers, vacuums, and generators, can create noisy environments in the workplace. Repeated exposure to excessive noise can lead to irreversible hearing loss and other health issues.

The Â鶹´«Ã½ Hearing Conservation Program establishes the procedures for noise reduction, noise monitoring, training, and audiometric tests (i.e., hearing tests) to prevent hearing loss from occupational noise exposure.

It's important that you understand where hazardous noise may exist in your work area and the necessary measures to keep yourself safe and preserve your hearing for things like music, movies, and conversations with your friends and family.

If your job exposes you to potential noise hazards, ensure you are up-to-date on your biennial Hearing Conservation safety training in myHR Learn.

Did you know?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that about 22 million U.S. workers each year are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, but 53% of noise-exposed workers report not wearing hearing protection!

Health effects

Exposure to high levels of noise can cause permanent hearing loss, and cannot be corrected by surgery, medicine, or hearing aids.

Short-term exposure to loud noise can cause a temporary change in hearing (your ears may feel stuffed up) or a ringing in your ears (tinnitus). These short-term problems may go away within a few minutes or hours after leaving the noisy environment. However, repeated exposure to loud noise can lead to permanent tinnitus and hearing loss.

Noise-induced hearing loss limits your ability to hear high-frequency sounds and understand speech, which seriously impairs your ability to communicate. 

How loud is too loud?

Noise is commonly measured in decibels (dBA). Generally, a whisper is 30 dBA, a normal conversation is 60 dBA, and an ambulance siren is 150 dBA. Noise is considered hazardous based on how loud the sound is, how long the exposure lasts, and how often the exposure is repeated. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) prohibits exposure above an average noise level of 90 dBA during your workday. Noise may be a problem in your workplace if you:

  • Need to shout to speak to someone three feet away
  • Hear ringing or humming in your ears when you leave work
  • Experience temporary hearing loss when leaving work

If you believe there may be unsafe noise levels in your work area, contact your supervisor or Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) to assess the noise levels.

Hearing conservation program

If EHS determines that you are exposed to an average noise level of 85 dBA or more in your workday, you will be enrolled in Â鶹´«Ã½’s Hearing Conservation Program to prevent occupational hearing loss and other health issues, which includes:

  • Annual audiometric tests for hearing loss
  • Annual training to keep you informed
  • The use and care of necessary hearing protection

Reducing exposure to excessive noise

Excessive noise in the workplace can be reduced by replacing or isolating noisy equipment or reducing the amount of time spent in noisy environments. If it is not feasible to eliminate or reduce noise to safe levels, hearing protection is required.

Use this guide to select hearing protection that provides the appropriate level of protection, comfort, and compatibility with your other personal protective equipment. The two most common types of hearing protection are ear muffs and ear plugs. Work with your supervisor or contact EHS to select the right hearing protection for your work area.

Even when not required, hearing protection is recommended in environments with elevated noise levels.

Do you want to learn more?

We want your feedback! Please complete this brief anonymous . Do you have a safety story you'd like to share? If so, please contact ehs@northwestern.edu.