Some of the latest highlights include:

Combustible Dust

John Astad, Director and Research Analyst of the Combustible Dust Policy Institute, joins [...]]]> Have you checked out AIHA’s Safe & Sound Podcast lately? Very good information being delivered by Craig & Melissa at AIHA. Take a listen at home, work, or in the car (all files are .mp3 format).

Some of the latest highlights include:

Combustible Dust

John Astad, Director and Research Analyst of the Combustible Dust Policy Institute, joins Safe & Sound to educate us about combustible dust. Most recently Mr. Astad’s incident data was utilized in OSHA’s proposed combustible dust rulemaking (ANPRM), so stakeholders can understand the probability of occurrence in the industrial sector. The Combustible Dust Policy Institute and Mr. Astad’s work can be found at http://www.combustibledust.com.

CIH Certification & ABIH

Craig & Melissa talk about the CIH certification, and how to get certified with Torey Nalbone, PhD, CIH, the newly elected Chair of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH). Dr. Nalbone provides Safe & Sound with some insights as to what the ABIH is doing and what his goals are as the Chair.

Noise

Melissa and Craig discuss noise induced hearing loss, the Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR) update, and general noise safety that you can practice everyday with Lee Hager, a Noise Conservationist for 3M. Lee lets us know that there is such thing as over protection and tells us that if you listen to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones at full volume (like they should be) you may want to take a break in order to preserve your hearing.

Source:  AIHA.org

Loud noise can permanently damage your hearing. It especially affects the sounds that [...]]]> An extremely useful field tool to determine if you are achieving adequate attenuation with your hearing protection has been devised by NIOSH.  Have you used this in your workplace?  How successful has it been?  Let us know in the comments section of this post.

Loud noise can permanently damage your hearing. It especially affects the sounds that help you understand speech.

Earmuffs, earplugs, and other hearing protection devices can reduce your risk of hearing loss, but only if you get a good fit and wear them properly.

Follow the instructions for the sound player on the right side of this page to perform a quick test of whether you are getting at least a minimal 15 decibel (dB) level of protection.

How it Works

The test sounds are bands of random noise with a center frequency of 1000 Hz. This is the same type of sound used in standard hearing protector ratings including the “American National Standard Methods for Measuring the Real-Ear Attenuation of Hearing Protectors” (ANSI S12.6). Both tracks are the same, but the second track is 15 decibels (dB) louder than the first. Most hearing protectors will block or “attenuate” sound by more than 15 dB if they are the right size and shape to fit your ears and are worn correctly. A sound that is barely audible at your threshold of hearing without hearing protection should be inaudible though hearing protection even if it’s boosted by 15 dB.

Online or Offline Testing:

You can also download the test sounds to check your hearing protection offline with an MP3 player or computer multimedia player. Download or play online, these two tracks:

Track 1: Without Hearing Protection NIOSH QuickFit Without HPD
Track 2: With Hearing Protection NIOSH QuickFit With HPD

For online testing, click the links, goto the .mp3 page, then click the file. Quicktime (or the program you have installed on your computer) will play the file. To download the files for offline testing, right-click the link and choose “Save File As…” or similar selection from the menu.

Continue Reading for the Instructions…

Instructions

Hearing Protection Quick Test

1. For best results, conduct this test in a quiet room (background noises can interfere with the test sounds). You can listen through speakers or headphones connected to your computer. Speakers will work with either earmuffs or earplugs. Headphones can be used with earplugs and should be the full-sized “circumaural” type that covers the entire ear and does not press on the inserted earplug.
2. Click “1. Without hearing protection” in the sound player display above and adjust the volume so the sound is barely audible (you may need to use the controls on your computer along with the on-screen slider.
3. Put on your hearing protection. If using soft foam earplugs, we recommend the NIOSH Roll-Pull-Hold method.
4. Click “2. With hearing protection” and listen for the test sound.
5. You should not be able to hear the test sound if your hearing protection is fitted properly. If you can hear this track, re-fit your hearing protection and repeat Step 4.

Source: NIOSH Quick Fit Web

Ask the Expert:  Elliott Berger, author and editor of The Noise Manual (available at AIHA press or Amazon), recently commented on the use of low attenuation ear plugs for use in industry on the Yahoo Groups AIHA listserv.

In looking over recent posts on low-attenuation earplugs I was pleased to see awareness of the issue of over [...]]]>

Ask the Expert:  Elliott Berger, author and editor of The Noise Manual (available at AIHA press or Amazon), recently commented on the use of low attenuation ear plugs for use in industry on the Yahoo Groups AIHA listserv.

In looking over recent posts on low-attenuation earplugs I was pleased to see awareness of the issue of over protection. The E-A-R Hi-Fi earplug was mentioned and indeed that is one moderately priced alternative to obtain less attenuation and a more neutral attenuation characteristic that sounds more natural. Unfortunately there are limited choices in this regard today since there isn’t much pull through from the occupational community. In fact, 3M used to sell the Hi-Fi earplug in the industrial market at the UltraTech (and still does in Europe), but in the US there is so much emphasis on high NRRs that it was difficult to garner interest. Today you can find them at various online retailers.

Another excellent uniform attenuation/moderate attenuation hearing protector, in fact the ultimate embodiment of that style is the Etymotic ER-15 Musician’s earplug. It is truly exceptional but will set you back about $150 per pair. It is cost justified for certain occupations such as musicians where the best fidelity is required. Go to www.etymotic.com to learn more.

To learn more about the effects of HPDs on communications see EARLog 13 found here: http://www.e-a-r.com/hearingconservation/earlog_main.cfm

Elliott H. Berger
Senior Scientist, Auditory Research
3M Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division
7911 Zionsville Road
Indianapolis, IN 46268-1657
317-692-3031 w
866-428-3942 f
317-752-0614 c
www.E-A-R.com/hearingconservation

Courtesy of Elliott Berger

Citing the fact that nearly 22 million American workers are exposed to hazardous noise on a daily basis and that occupational hearing loss continues to plague industry, the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has made a request to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to reduce the [...]]]> View OHShub’s previous post about AIHA petioning OSHA:  HERE

Citing the fact that nearly 22 million American workers are exposed to hazardous noise on a daily basis and that occupational hearing loss continues to plague industry, the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has made a request to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to reduce the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise exposures.

“Noise-induced hearing loss is an insidious, permanent, and irreversible disease which has a tremendous negative impact on people’s lives. The good news is that this disease is 100% preventable,” said Rick Neitzel, PhD, CIH, NHCA President. “The bad news is that OSHA’s 30-year-old noise exposure regulation is not consistent with current scientific knowledge, is not uniformly applied across all industries, and has not proven effective in preventing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).”

NHCA has requested that OSHA lower the PEL in the Occupation Noise Standard 29 CFR 1910.95 from 90 dBA to 85 dBA, and the Action Level from 85 to 80 dBA. Citing recent research by NIOSH and other organizations, American workers face a considerable risk of NIHL associated with long-term work at the current PEL of 90 dBA and a 5 dB time/intensity exchange rate. NHCA has also requested that the time/intensity exchange rate be reduced from 5 to 3 dB.

In the letter, NHCA also requests that OSHA extend the PEL to other industries, such as construction, agriculture, oil and gas drilling and servicing, and shipbuilding, that are not covered by the existing regulation. NHCA also asks OSHA to rescind a policy (OSHA Field Operations Manual, 3/2009) which permits exposures up to 100 dBA without requiring implementation of noise controls.

“Nearly every other nation on earth has adopted a more protective 85 dBA exposure limit – which means that U.S. workers have a substantially greater risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss than do the workers of almost every other nation,” said Neitzel. “Also, workers in industries like construction, agriculture, and oil and gas drilling are currently not covered by an effective regulation, which is unacceptable, given the high levels of noise exposure associated with these industries.”

“The National Hearing Conservation Association is a multidisciplinary organization committed to the prevention of hearing loss, and as such is uniquely positioned to advocate for contemporary U.S. noise exposure regulations,” said Neitzel. “We feel that the proposed changes will help give American workers the protection that they deserve, and bring workplace noise regulations in the US in line with current scientific knowledge about noise and noise-induced hearing loss.”

NHCA’s letter to OSHA can be found online at: http://bit.ly/42a3GT.

About the National Hearing Conservation Association: The mission of the National Hearing Conservation Association is to prevent hearing loss due to noise and other environmental factors in all sectors of society. NHCA provides networking, resources and professional development opportunities to improve skills, practices and services for over 600 members. NHCA’s membership includes audiologists, researchers, students, industrial hygienists, educators, professional service organizations, safety professionals, medical professionals, engineers, audio professionals and others who have dedicated their work to the advancement of hearing loss prevention. For more information about the National Hearing Conservation Association, visit us online at www.hearingconservation.org.

Source : Reuters

Quest Technologies, a 3M company, invites you to learn how to look beyond noise exposure to apply noise measurements as part of a hearing conservation solution. Upon completion of this webinar, attendees will have an increased understanding of how to apply four core components to answer the questions below and fine-tune their hearing [...]]]>
What You Will Learn:

Quest Technologies, a 3M company, invites you to learn how to look beyond noise exposure to apply noise measurements as part of a hearing conservation solution. Upon completion of this webinar, attendees will have an increased understanding of how to apply four core components to answer the questions below and fine-tune their hearing conservation program.

* How do I detect noise exposure?
* How do I analyze noise measurements and select the correct hearing protection for my employees?
* How do I empower my employees and make them part of the solution? Are there tools and/or signage that will help me educate my workers on noise exposure?
* How do I eliminate excessive noise completely?

Speakers:

James Banach, Executive Vice President
Quest Technologies, a 3M company

James has been professionally involved in hearing conservation and noise measurement for over 25 years. He is the past chair for the Council for Accreditation of Occupational Hearing Conservationists, is past president of the National Hearing Conservation Association and past chair of the American Industrial Hygiene Association Noise Committee. James has presented lectures at both NHCA and AIHA conferences and taught professional development courses for AIHA. He has degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and the Keller Graduate School of Management.

This presentation will begin on December 03, 2009 at 02:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.  More information and to sign up can be found at OHSOnline HERE.

Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts