Noise and Hearing Presentation-11.03.09

PRESENTATION
(32-07 + 6-09)
NOISE AND HEARING

CONSERVATION
31ST October, 2007

And
11th March, 2009
Contents
• Noise and Effects
• Exposure Levels
• Noise from Construction Equipment
• Standards
• Hearing Conservation
• Summary
• Bibliography
Noise and Effects
• Most construction workers lose a lot
of their hearing. You lose hearing
slowly, so you may not notice.. But if
you can’t hear, you may be in
danger on the job. Hearing loss is
permanent.
• Noise doesn’t just hurt your hearing.

You can also get tinnitis, a ringing
sound in your ears. Too much noise
can make you tired and nervous. It
can raise your blood pressure and
add stress that can help lead to
heart disease.
Exposure Levels
• Noise levels are measured in decibels (dB) and TWA for sound exposure
(dBA). Note that TWA is 15 mins for short term and 8 hrs for long term
exposure.
• We talk at about 70 decibels.
• Note- When the decibels go up a little, the noise goes up a lot….73 decibels
is 2 times as loud as 70.
• OSHA has rules about how long you may be exposed to a noise level, before
you must wear hearing protection:
Allowed to be At this noise
unprotected/ hrs level/ dBA
≤ 8 hours 90
≤ 4 hours 95
≤ 1 hour 105
Exposure Levels cont’d
• Regular exposure to noise (unprotected) may still lead to some
degree of hearing loss
• Short, very loud (impact) noises can do the most harm
NB- If you have to raise your voice for someone 3 feet away to
hear you, the site may be too noisy and you need hearing
protection
Noise - Construction Equipment
• Most construction noise comes from equipment. These decibel
levels have been measured.
• Full list of dBA rating for construction tools
• Summary of the some tools and equipment below
EQUIPMENT DECIBELS
Pneumatic chip
hammer 103-113
Earth Tamper 90-96
Jackhammer 102-111
Crane 90-96
Concrete joint cutter 99-102
Hammer 87-95
Portable saw 88-102
Earthmover 87-94
Stud welder 101
Front-end loader 86-94
Bulldozer 93-96
Backhoe 84-93
Standards
T&T OSH Act Section 34
34. (1) Every owner, occupier or employer shall take adequate steps to
prevent hearing impairment caused by noise, and diseases
caused by vibration, from occurring to persons in, or in the
vicinity of, his industrial establishment and shall comply with
such directives as—
(a) the Chief Inspector may issue, in order to reduce the level of
noise or vibration generated by a machine, device or process; and
(b) the Chief Medical Officer may issue, in order to protect persons
employed from:
• hearing impairment caused by noise or
• from diseases caused by vibration.
Standards- OSH Act cont’d
2) It shall be the duty of the owner, occupier or employer—
(a) to ensure that all protective equipment necessary for compliance

with subsection (1) is worn or used by employees at all
appropriate times;
(b) to arrange for the initial and periodic medical examination and
assessment of those employees who are exposed to the risk of
injury to their hearing or of contracting a disease caused by
vibration;
(c) to keep a record of the results of examinations and assessments
under paragraph (b) which shall include
• audiometric tests and the monitoring of the
• work environment; and
(d) to arrange programmes for hearing conservation.
Standards cont’d
• OSHA Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR) : Occupational noise exposure - 1926.52
An employee is exposed at these levels for these periods is within acceptable limits-
Sound level dBA slow

Duration per day, hrs response
8 90
6 92
4 95
3 97
2 100
1.5 102
Table D-2, Permissible Noise Exposures, in 1926.52
1 105
• 1926.52(e) 0.5 110
Exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 140 dB peak sound pressure
level 0.25 or less 115
Types of Hearing Protection
Types of Hearing Protection cont’d
Hearing Conservation
• Make the workplace quieter-
– Ask contractors to buy quieter models when they buy new
equipment
– Good maintenance, new mufflers, etc
– Put sources of loud noise, e.g. compressors and generators, as
far away from the work zone as possible
– Plywood or plastic sheeting set up around machinery can shield
noise
• Cut the time you spend around loud noises-

– Ask to have workers rotated from noisy jobs to quieter jobs, if
possible
– Take rest breaks away from noisy spots
Hearing Conservation cont’d
• Wear protective equipment-
– If these changes still do not reduce noise sufficiently then you must
wear hearing protection and trained to use it.
– Use hearing protection that is easy to put on and take off if you will be
using this regularly e.g. Some hardhats have earmuffs for hearing
protection that can be lifted out of the way when you don’t need them.
Some ear plugs have neckbands so you don’t lose them if you take
them off.
• Have your hearing checked each year- Ask for at least a standard pure-
tone test. Tell them your work is noisy, so they will know you may have lost
some hearing.
• Measure the noise on site. You or your company may want to invest in a
low-cost sound meter.
Hearing Conservation cont’d
• Many workers don’t want to use hearing protection. They are
afraid they won’t hear warning signals such as backup alarms.
But some new protectors can let in voices and block other
noises.
• You may not need the hearing protection designed for the
loudest noises… just something comfortable that lets you hear
talking and takes away some of the noise around you.
Summary
• There are applicable TTOSH and OSHA standards that
can guide our hearing loss program.
• Control measures for noise on site (esp. from

equipment):
– Zoning and use of barriers to confine noise

– Regular maintenance of equipment
– Use of new equipment (engineered for less noise)
– Use of technology (noise testing devices)
– Management ( job rotation, breaks etc.)
– Use of PPE (e.g. earplugs and earmuffs)
– Monitoring (audiometric testing of workers most at risk)
Bibliography
• Standards:
– OSH Act of 1970, Section 5- Duties
– Standard Interpretations- 01/06/1992 - Welding and Noise in confined space
– Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR) : Hearing protection. - 1926.101
• PPE
– Types of PPE that can be used and their effectiveness
• Health:
– Construction Noise Hazard Alert
– Construction Noise: Exposure, Effects, and the Potential for Remediation; A Revie
w and Analysis
• Conservation:
– A Practical Guide to Prevent Hearing Loss
• Images:
– http://www.noise-busters.com
– http://www.cartoonstock.com
– http://www.rd.com
THANK YOU…..
END

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PRESENTATION

NOISE AND HEARING

31ST October, 2007

• Noise doesn’t just hurt your hearing.

• We talk at about 70 decibels.

• Short, very loud (impact) noises can do the most harm

(a) to ensure that all protective equipment necessary for compliance

Sound level dBA slow

• Cut the time you spend around loud noises-

• Control measures for noise on site (esp. from

– Zoning and use of barriers to confine noise

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