Warning: 7 Ways to Avoid Hearing Damage on the Job
Warning: 7 Ways to Avoid Hearing Damage on the Job
Are You Suffering Hearing Damage on the Job?
On average, hearing impairment afflicts 14 percent of people aged 45-65, and 30 percent of those between 65 and 74. It shouldn't surprise you that the statistics go way up for construction workers, who rank high among sufferers of vocation-related hearing loss. In coastal areas, the noise generated from pile driving has been observed to aversely affect dolphin populations up to 40 km away (The Water and Environment Journal). Imagine the sound's impact to you on the very jobsite!
This article details some common causes of on-the-jobsite ear drum damage, as well as ways to preserve your hearing health. Construction workerswho spend every day amid some of the noisiest elements there areought to hear this one out.
Though noise intensity varies by type of equipment, decibel levels fall around 90-100 for stationary power tools, and 100-115 for mobile equipment. And while a jackhammer or stud welder is a seemingly obvious threat to hearing, I'm always surprised to learn that some construction workers fail to use ear protection. "Prolonged exposure to noise in the 90-decibel range can permanently damage hearing," Phil Cheswick, an attorney who handles hearing loss claims, reported to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. So why would anyone not take precautions on a construction site? Perhaps the ruckus becomes a natural backdrop after a while.
Cutting the Clatter
Some exposure to loud sounds is inevitable, but you can strive to keep it within a safe amount of exposure. Remember, the louder the noise, the shorter the safe amount of exposure. Normally, the safe amount is reduced by a factor of 2 for every additional 3 dB. For example, the safe daily exposure amount at 85 dB is eight hours, while the safe exposure at 91 dB is only two hours (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). Thus, lower level sounds at greater exposure can be equally harmful. Keep this in mind when you're off work, and give your ears a rest. Listen to TV and music a little softer and resist the temptation to pop ear buds in during your downtime. After all, "Noise is Noise," maintains the UK's culture secretary. "It doesn't matter whether it's Tchaikovsky or a power drill."
Hearing Protection Devices
In noisy environments, a worker's best protection is a pair of foam or flanged ear plugs. Custom earplugs, which provide a decibel reduction of approximately 25 dB, tend to be more comfortable and convenient than earmuffs. With a band they can rest unobtrusively around your neck, making them great for working with intermittent noise. Filtered plugs and some earmuffs (available as hard hat attachments) contain a patented acoustical chamber which permits the user to hear speech while blocking harmful noise. For those who've already sustained hearing loss, there are hearing protectors that even amplify "safe" sounds.
Combining foam earplugs with earmuffs, which provide 23 dB of protection, will yield 29 dB of protection. In most cases, though, to combine the two may deliver too much protectionmaking it hard to hear backup alarms and communicate with other workers. According to Washington University's analysis of occupational noise, "most construction workers will get enough protection if they wear a hearing protector with an NRR of 14 decibels." Keep in mind that the NRR, or noise reduction rating, is said to be higher than the actual level of protection the wearer will get.
Keys to a Quieter Jobsite
Hearing damage is most frequent among carpentry, concrete and road construction workers. Yet that doesn't mean other tradesmen aren't at risk. In addition to the use of hearing protection, the harmful effects of construction noise can be minimized on the jobsite.
1. Buy newer, quieter equipment models.
2. Use noise reduction devices whenever possible. "Mufflers" include insulating fabric covers for portable compressors, generators, and pumps.
3. Keep equipment in good condition.
4. Erect perimeter noise barriers between the noise source and workers, especially if the loud equipment is being used near a reverberating surface.
5. Limit onsite vehicle engine idling.
6. Take breaks from working in noisy areas, rotating from loud to quiet job settings.
7. Avoid combining noise exposure with exposure to "ototoxic" industrial solvents, such as xylene, toluene, styrene, carbon disulfide, trichloroethylene and n-Hexane.
Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow
Don't wait until you're reading lips to start worrying about your ear health. Ninety percent of hearing loss is permanent, and progressive hearing loss is often imperceptible. Some might be unlucky enough to shatter an ear drum instantly; for the rest of us, hearing impairment takes its toll over time, and damage to the hearing nerve isn't evident until it's too late.
Over the last few decades, hearing protection programs have become increasingly standard in the construction trade. Contractors and workers are taking more steps to reduce equipment noise emissions, keep ear protection available, and set up sound barriers where possible. Most state's have construction noise mitigation rules.
Still, today's workers face the risk of hearing loss as much as their predecessors did. Sound will continue to be a part of our livesespecially for construction workers, who are never going to enjoy library levels of sound on the clock. That's no excuse not to look out for your hearing health, though. It's a worker's duty to preserve hearing ability in order to communicate on the jobsite and perceive danger.
It's not enough to just drape a pair of earplugs around your neckyou need to be fully committed to protecting your hearing. Washington University's construction noise study found that, despite HPD mandates, "hearing protection is worn less than 20% of the time when exposure levels are over 85 dBA." Now is the time to become conscious of noise, and get in the habit of reducing sound levels whenever possible. You should also have your hearing checked every year. You may not be exposed to pile-driving noise levels every day, but over time even subtler sound exposure can have a shattering impact on your hearing ability.
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