Health & Safety

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to wake up one morning and not be able to hear birds singing, music playing or the voices of your children and/or grandchildren?  Unfortunately, there are more than 22 million Americans who are at risk each day for just such a situation. Their exposure to noise at work can rob them of this indispensable sense.

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent “injuries” that occurs in our workplaces each year. It is difficult to look at this condition as an injury or illness because it does not hurt when it happens, you cannot put a bandage on it or take medication to cure it. It quietly sneaks up on its victims without them knowing. And by the time they do notice, it is usually too late. Hearing loss is a cumulative process and it is permanent!

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established the Hearing Conservation Standard (29 CFR 1910.95) in an effort to protect workers from exposure to noise. This regulation became effective in 1981 and has been revised many times more than the past 28 years. The elements of the regulation assist employers in developing a plan to care for their employees and their hearing.

What are the potential early warning signs of hearing loss?

• Do people appear to “mumble” when you are speaking with them?
• Do you frequently say "What?" or "Huh?" when spoken to?
• Do you like the TV and radio volume louder?
• Do you have trouble hearing in noisy rooms, such as in restaurants or at sporting events?

There are three types of hearing loss:  sensorineural, conductive and central hearing loss. Approximately 90 percent of all hearing loss cases are categorized as a sensorineural loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is sometimes also referred to as "nerve deafness." Disorders of the nerves, in addition to conditions that affect structures of the inner ear can be seen with this type of loss. This is generally considered a noise-induced hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss should be diagnosed by an audiologist through the use of a standard hearing test.

The second most common type of hearing loss is conductive hearing loss. This loss occurs when sound is not transmitted into the inner ear. Only about 0.8 percent of the population has a conductive hearing loss. Some examples of this form of loss include plugging due to ear wax, fluid in the middle ear and disorders of the small bones in the middle ear. A majority of conductive hearing losses are often able to be corrected.

Central deafness is extremely rare compared to the sensorineural and conductive types. Injuries to the brain and/or brainstem or specific illnesses can contribute to this type of loss. Central hearing loss generally is not helped to a great extent by medication or surgery, but preventing progression is imperative.

Using the principles of recognition, evaluation and control will assist you in protecting your workforce from potential hearing losses. Being able to recognize if and where you have potential for high noise in your facilities is the basis for developing a hearing conservation program. Once you have identified these areas, then evaluation strategies can be derived and implemented. These include noise sampling plans for personnel within the facility and audiometric programs for employees. Once you have collected, assessed and compared the noise data to the OSHA standards, you can implement noise reduction initiatives, hearing protection plans and training programs. Auditing protocols can then be implemented to determine your program’s sustainability. It is important to note that there are several agencies (The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) that have adopted noise standards which are less than OSHAs current standards. This potential trend in the reduction of exposure levels by certain regulatory bodies further confirms the need for comprehensive hearing conservation programs for our nation’s workers.

When a random group of individuals were asked whether they believed it would be worse to be blind or deaf, approximately 80 percent answered that they would rather be blind. When Helen Keller was asked the same question, she stated “Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus…the sound of the voice.