Health and Safety Manual

Noise Exposure Control-A Guide for Field Staff

January 2005

Abstract
1.0 General Information
2.0 Roles & Responsibilities
3.0 Hearing Conservation Program
4.0 Safe Operating Procedures in the Field
5.0 Noise Exposure Training
6.0 Record Keeping
7.0 Program Evaluation
8.0 Definitions 8
Appendix 1: General Information of Sound, Noise and Hearing

Abstract

It is the responsibility of every employer to provide a safe and healthful environment for their employees to work by providing an effective Health and Safety Program. One component of this Program is to provide direction through policy and procedures addressing occupational health and safety issues. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has established this Noise Exposure Control: A Guide for Field Staff within the Health and Safety Program to meet its employees needs.

The CIWMB recognizes that an effective health and safety program is directly related to the dedication with which it is implemented by both management and employees.

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1.0 General Information

Introduction

It is the policy of the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to prevent hearing loss through an effective hearing conservation program using administrative controls and personal protective equipment. This “Noise Exposure Control Program” is a supplemental policy to further clarify policy and procedures related to CIWMB’s Field Health and Safety Program.

Scope

This policy sets forth accepted policy and procedures to promote hearing conservation for CIWMB employees whose job requires them to be out in the field.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide those employees who routinely work out in the field and who may be exposed to noise exposures equal or exceeding an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels measured on the A-scale (slow response) or equivalently, a dose of fifty percent with proper training, information, and corrective actions to prevent injury.

Permissible Exposure Limit

When CIWMB employees are subjected to noise levels that may exceed the permissible exposure level (PEL) 8-hour time weighted average of 90 dBA, feasible engineering or administrative controls shall be utilized. If such controls fail to reduce harmful sound levels, then using personal protective equipment shall be provided and used to reduce sound levels within permissible levels. All employees who are exposed to noise at or above the action level, 8-hour time weighted average of 85 dBA must participate in CIWMB’s hearing conservation program. Hearing protectors will be made available to those employees.

When the daily noise exposure for an employee is composed of two or more periods of noise of varying levels, the combined effect shall be evaluated, rather than the individual effect (see Table 1).

Exposure to impulsive or impact noise shall not exceed 140 dB peak sound pressure level.

Table 1

(From CCR, T8, Section 5095 et.al.)

Authority

The legal/regulatory authority for these guidelines are based on:

• California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 8, General Industry Safety Orders, Article 105, [Sections 5095-5100 & Appendix A-F]
• Labor Code 6400., Safe and healthy workplace and job requirement
• Labor Code 6401., Safe and healthy equipment and practices requirement
• CIWMB Health & Safety Manual - Injury and Illness Prevention Program
• ANSI, American National Standard Institute

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2.0 Roles and Responsibilities

Employer

It is the overall responsibility of management to ensure that CIWMB employees are provided with a safe and healthful workplace. The CIWMB shall administer a continuing, effective noise exposure control program, which will include a hearing conservation program.

Any CIWMB employee exposed to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 90 decibels or greater, shall be provided and use appropriate hearing protection.

Managers and Supervisors

It is the responsibility of all CIWMB managers/supervisors to ensure that proper health and safety procedures are being followed by all staff. Responsibilities include to:

• Ensure that employees under their supervision understand and follow this noise exposure control program, which includes a hearing conservation program;
• Encourage employees to report any hearing problem or unusual symptoms without fear of reprisal or discrimination;
• Immediately notify the Health and Safety Officer of an employee's report of hearing problems or unusual symptoms;
• Immediately notify the Health and Safety Officer and the Workers' Compensation/Return-to-Work Coordinator of an employee's report of injury due to hearing loss;
• Keep informed of CIWMB policies and procedures associated with hearing conservation;
• Ensure affected employees participate in the CIWMB’s medical surveillance program, which includes audiometric testing; and
• Ensure that employees use appropriate hearing protection when exposure levels may exceed permissible exposure levels.

Employees

• It is the responsibility of every CIWMB employee to follow proper health and safety procedures including policies and procedures outlined in this document. Employees are responsible to:
• Participate in this noise exposure control program, which includes a Hearing Conservation Program at no cost to employees;
• Participate in medical surveillance audiometric testing program provided by the employer;
• Report any problems or symptoms of hearing loss immediately to their supervisor and Health and Safety Officer; and
• Correctly use all control measures to prevent hearing loss including hearing protectors. Control measures shall include engineering, administrative and personal protective equipment.

Health and Safety Program

The Health and Safety Program provides technical consultation and training on occupational health and safety issues for all CIWMB employees. Included in these responsibilities are to:

• Provide an active hazard prevention and control program;
• Provide technical support to all CIWMB staff on proper use of hearing protectors;
• Conduct training in awareness of the symptoms and consequences of hearing loss and conservation, awareness of hearing loss risk factors, awareness of safe work methods, and reporting systems;
• Review and evaluate hearing protection and make recommendations to management;
• Obtain and document employee’s exposures that may equal or exceed action or permissible exposure levels;
• Track all surveys and collect data for future statistical analysis; and
• Provide audiometric testing, if needed.

Human Resources Office

The CIWMB's Human Resources Office within the Administration and Finance Division is responsible for personnel assistance and guidance when work related hearing loss occurs.

Included in these responsibilities are to:

• Provide consultation on return-to-work issues related to noise-induced hearing loss for CIWMB staff;
• Provide consultation on workers' compensation issues related to noise-induced hearing loss for CIWMB staff; and
• Provide consultation on reasonable accommodation related to noise-induced hearing loss for CIWMB staff.

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3.0 Hearing Conservation Program

CIWMB will administer a continuing and effective hearing conservation program whenever an employee’s noise exposure equals or exceeds an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) sound level of 85 measured on the A-scale or equivalently, a dose of 50%. This CIWMB Hearing Conservation Program will include procedures that will enable CIWMB employees to reduce the chance of acquiring a noise-induced hearing loss through evaluation proper training, participation in annual audiometric testing, and exposure intervention through supervisors and/or medical doctors. The CIWMB will adopt feasible administrative controls, limit the time of exposure, or use personal protective equipment to eliminate the hazards associated with noise-induced hearing loss.

NOTE: Existing conditions documenting that an employee is under a physician's care, or the physician has indicated the injury may be work related must be processed through the CIWMB's reasonable accommodation policy (Administration Manual 15014-03) and/or injury and illness reporting (IIPP, Section 9.0).

Exposure Monitoring

When it is recognized there is potential for hearing loss and risk factors are present, either through an employee's report, at the request of the supervisor, or by the Health and Safety Officer, an evaluation of potential exposure will be conducted. Noise monitoring will be performed by Health and Safety Program staff to determine representative employee exposure.

Audiometric Testing Program

Audiometric testing will be provided to all designated field staff that require medical monitoring. The audiometric test program will meet all requirements as required by regulation [T8, CRR, G150, 5097(c)]. This program will be provided at no cost to CIWMB staff.

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4.0 Safe Operating Procedures in the Field

All CIWMB field employees should anticipate and be prepared for a high noise environment while out in the field. Controlling the noise using effective industrial hygiene measures should minimize any negative effectives of noise. The three utilized by the CIWMB Health and Safety Program are engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Engineering control reduces the sound level either at the source or within the hearing range of workers. Examples of engineering controls are maintaining equipment by replacing or adjusting loose or worn parts or lubricating the equipment. Since CIWMB staff does not operate heavy equipment, this control is not feasible.

Administrative controls include any administrative decision that results in lower noise exposure, such as job rotation, limiting time in noise area, and posting signs. The CIWMB Health and Safety Program initiates this measure before recommending any personal protective equipment.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is recommended when engineering and administrative controls are unable to protect employees from the effects of excessive noise levels. The CIWMB’s Health and Safety Program provides hearing protectors such as earplugs and earmuffs.

Communication in the Field

While in the field, CIWMB field employees must be able to communicate with each other and to hear warning signals. Employees must keep in mind that in high noise environments, those wearing ear protectors may have a diminished hearing capacity and communication may be difficult.

When in the field, a common rule of thumb is that if you have to shout to communicate at a distance of three feet, noise levels may be excessive.

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5.0 Noise Exposure Training

All CIWMB employees who work in the field shall be provided with an effective training and education program. Training and education shall be provided in the form of handouts, regular instructor training sessions, and individual consultation with the Health and Safety Program staff. This formal training is included in the annual Health and Safety field refresher training, or when it is determined to be needed through the Health and Safety Officer.

An employee already using hearing protectors shall be refitted and retrained in the use of hearing protectors and provided with hearing protectors offering greater reduction if necessary.

6.0 Recordkeeping

The Health and Safety Officer shall maintain all records, including written reports, training records, medical records and surveys and statistical data for future statistical analysis. These records shall be maintained for a period as required by regulation; noise exposure measurement records-two year record retention and audiometric test records-duration of the affected employee’s employment.

7.0 Program Evaluation

This Noise Exposure Control Program will be evaluated every two years or whenever a regulatory change occurs. The program evaluation shall consider ways to modify this procedure to improve its effectiveness and practical use or application for employees, supervisors, and management.

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8.0 Definitions (CCR, T8, §5095)

Action level: An 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels measured on the A-scale, slow response, or equivalently, a dose of fifty percent.

Audiogram: A chart, graph, or table resulting from an audiometric test showing an individuals’ hearing threshold levels as a function of frequency.

Audiologist: A professional, specializing in the study and rehabilitation of hearing, who is certified by the American Speech, Hearing and Language Association or licensed by a state board of examiners.

Baseline Audiogram: The audiogram against which future audiograms are  compared.

Criterion Sound: A sound level of 90 decibels.

Level Decibel (dB): Unit of measurement of sound level.

dBA (Decibels-A-Weighted): A unit of measurement of sound level corrected to the
 A-weighted scale, as defined in ANSI S1.4-1971 (R1976), using a reference level of 20 micropascals (0.00002 newtons per square meter).

Hertz (Hz): Unit of measurement of frequency, numerically equal to cycles per second.

Medical Pathology: A disorder or disease. For purposes of this regulation, a condition or disease affecting the ear, which should be treated by a physical specialist.

Noise: Sound without information, usually of random intensity; often unwanted.

Otolaryngologist: A physician specializing in diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ear, nose and throat.

Representative Exposure: Measurement of an employee’s noise dose or 8-hour time-weighted average sound level that the employer deems to be representative of exposures of other employees in the workplace.

Sound: Pressure variation in a medium (especially air) that the human ear can detect.

Sound Level: Ten times the common logarithm of the ration of the square measured A-weighted sound pressure to the square of the standard reference pressure of 20 micropascals. Unit: decibels (dB). For use with this regulation, SLOW time response, in accordance with ANSI S1.4-1971 (R1976), is required.

Sound Level Meter: An instrument for the measurement of sound level.

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Appendix I
Sound, Noise, and Hearing *

What is sound and noise?

Sound: pressure variation in a medium (especially air) that the human ear can detect

Noise: sound without information, usually of random intensity; often unwanted

Sound or noise can:

• Mask unwanted or wanted sounds
• Cause auditory fatigue and hearing loss
• Cause annoyance and psychological effects
• Produce non-auditory physiological effects

Noise principles

• Physically, sound is a traveling pressure wave
• Each expansion creates a layer of higher pressure air that spreads outward

Sound characteristics

• Frequency: determined by the rate at which pressure waves reach the ear
• Units are 1/sec-cycles per second-or hertz-hz
• Frequency is the same as pitch
• Adults tend to hear from 40hz to 10,000 to 12,000hz

How is sound measured?

• A sensor is used that responds to pressure variations in the air
• The sensor produces a type of variation that can be translated into an electrical signal; this is a microphone
• The units of pressure are force per unit area, Newtons/meter2, the Pascal (Pa) (*from Noise Measurement and Control and Hearing Conservation, Quinlan, 2001)

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Last updated: December 31, 2009