← Old Posts

Occupational Health & Safety work conference Manitoba

January 22, 2019

OHS Manitoba

Safety: Be Part of the Solution

Every day we’re faced with issues that demand a solution in some form or another. From changing a light bulb up in the rafters to cleaning a spill down in the basement – safety should always be part of the solution.

Our program is designed to help you make safety part of your solution at work, at home and in your community. With the experience and know-how you bring to the event and the exciting new ideas and philosophies you’ll learn at the SSM OHS Conference, you’ll be prepared to use safety at every turn to help craft the best solution possible.

You’ll be sure to leave the annual conference well equipped with a “Safety Solution” for your workplace.

The show is 2 days Jan 23 & Jan 24th. Don’t forget to check us out at the show.

 

Custom Protect Ear

 

Working with our distributor, Ross Hearing.

ross hearing

Noise-related hearing loss – Overview of Custom Protect Ear

July 5, 2018

Noise-related hearing loss is one of the most common occupational hazards affecting 25% of US workers. It’s the third most prevalent chronic condition in older adults and the most widespread disability. Repetitive, excessive noise is the main contributor to long-term hearing problems. It’s also a dangerous distraction, one that can cause other, more immediate and serious workplace accidents.

In response, many businesses use disposable earplugs to protect their employee’s hearing.

But if the earplugs don’t fit properly…

  • are uncomfortable
  • or prevent the employee from communicating
  • they may leave the employee’s hearing at risk.

Custom Protect Ear’s Mission is to eliminate Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Our dB Blockers address all these issues to deliver three key benefits. First, dB Blockers are extremely comfortable – which means people are willing to wear them, for their entire shift. Second, people wearing dB Blockers hear each other better – which improves workplace safety, communication and productivity. And third, dB Blockers are more cost-effective than disposable hearing protectors, so you pay less for a better product.

CHECK OUT OUR VIDEO ON NOISE RELATED HEARING LOSS 

 

How do we do it? We focus only on custom hearing protection

It starts with more than 40 years of research and development in hearing loss prevention.

That dedication has enabled us to make significant technological advancements in hearing protection, earn ISO 9001 certification and deliver a complete portfolio of products to more than 4500 international businesses in a broad range of industries. One of the keys is our custom-fit program, available throughout North America and internationally.

All dB Blockers are custom-fit to each user’s ear.

They’re also made from a super-soft, medical-grade SkinSoft silicone. This makes them exceptionally comfortable while providing a perfect seal, for excellent hearing protection. An exact fit also means dB Blockers provide excellent noise protection while eliminating itching… painful pressure points…and the need to wear bulky ear muffs. And, they come in a wide range of models, so you can choose the dB Blockers that match your workplace needs. You can also use the serial number to order a pair of dB Blockers for home, sleeping, swimming, or listening to music.

In addition to being extremely comfortable, dB Blockers are technologically advanced. Every pair of vented dB Blockers employs our proprietary “FT filters”. These work to block out background noise, while honing in on the frequency range of the human voice. As a result, people can hear each other better with dB Blockers, than without them.

People working in noise also prefer dB Blockers because they can be connected to numerous communication devices, including

  1. two-way radios
  2. Bluetooth cell phones and
  3. other audio components and devices.

Since employees don’t have to remove dB blockers to communicate with co-workers Or while talking on the phone or radio, their hearing is protected for an entire shift.

Finally, because dB Blockers can be worn for years, they provide significant cost savings over disposables.

That means you’ll save money while increasing compliance…

  • improving workplace safety…
  • enhancing communications…
  •  and boosting productivity.

Smart, right?

Custom Protect Ear, the North American Leader in industrial, custom hearing protection.

Because when you think about it, everything else… is just noise.

 

Timber, Noise, and Hearing Loss: A Look into the Forestry and Logging Industry

June 22, 2018

Timber, Noise, and Hearing Loss: A Look into the Forestry and Logging Industry

We use our senses for many things. Take away or weaken one, such as hearing, and many things around us begin to change. Unexpectedly, the conversation across the room becomes more difficult to hear. Our favorite song on the radio doesn’t sound quite the same. This can become very frustrating for the person affected.

Hearing loss is common, especially among workers who are exposed to hazardous noise where they work. What exactly is “hazardous noise”? Noise is considered hazardous when it reaches 85 decibels (dBA) or more. In other words, when a person needs to raise his/her voice to speak with someone at arm’s length or about 3 feet away, a person is likely being exposed to noise that can potentially damage his/her hearing over time. This exposure to hazardous noise and/or chemicals that can damage hearing may lead to hearing loss linked to the workplace, also known as occupational hearing loss.

The risk of developing hearing loss varies by industry. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently looked at one particular industry sector in its paper: Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed workers within the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting sector, 2003-2012. This study looked at the number of workers in this industry sector that had a material hearing impairment, which is hearing loss that interferes with understanding speech. We’ll call it hearing loss in this blog.

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting is among the top industry sectors for worker exposure to hazardous noise that can contribute to hearing loss (37% exposed vs. 25% for all industries combined). Hearing loss within Forestry and Logging, an industry within this sector, is more pervasive. Noise-exposed workers in Forestry and Logging had a higher percentage of hearing loss (21%) than all noise-exposed industries combined (19%). To put this into perspective, a different study found that only 7% of non-noise-exposed workers reported hearing difficulty. Worker tasks in Forestry and Logging include:

  • managing forest nurseries
  • tending to timber tracts (plots of land selected for collecting timber)
  • gathering forest products
  • harvesting standing trees for timber

 

Timber-Logging

Activities associated with these tasks, such as unlatching cables used to hold and move logs (92 dBA) and the use of chainsaws (91-110 dBA), represent some of the highest noise exposures to this industry’s workers, and overall average exposures in some occupations have been shown to range from 97-102 dBA. These noise exposures, among others, contribute to the elevated prevalence of hearing loss seen in this industry.

Within Forestry and Logging, Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products had the highest prevalence of hearing loss (36%). This represents the highest prevalence within Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting.

Fortunately, there are effective methods for preventing worker hearing loss from noise. Reducing the noise, preferably at the source, is always the first and best step. To further reduce worker exposure to hazardous noise and minimize hearing loss within Forestry and Logging, this industry can:

  • Enclose engines and heavy equipment workstations to contain the noise
  • Install silencers and mufflers on equipment
  • Reduce exposure time for workers operating noisy equipment
  • Perform maintenance of hand tools and vehicle systems
  • Ensure that workers consistently wear properly-fitted hearing protection every time they are in noisy areas or using noisy equipment
  • Make sure that employees receive regular monitoring for changes in their hearing, so that additional measures to limit the progression of any detected hearing loss can be taken

There are also activities within Forestry and Logging that can expose workers to vibration, which may also contribute to the risk of hearing loss through suspected changes to the blood-flow within the inner ear. Vibration exposure can be reduced through routine maintenance of equipment and the use of anti-vibration chainsaws and gloves.

Visit our website for more information on occupational hearing loss surveillance and links to resources to protect worker hearing.

If you work in this industry, please share your experiences with reducing noise and improving worker safety and health.

SOURCE 

Timber, Noise, and Hearing Loss: A Look into the Forestry and Logging Industry

Loud noise on the job are at increased risk for hypertension and high cholesterol

May 22, 2018

Cincinnati — Workers exposed to loud noise on the job are at increased risk for hypertension and high cholesterol – key risk factors for heart disease – according to a recent study from NIOSH.

worker-hivis-jackhammer

Using 2014 National Health Interview Survey data of nearly 23,000 workers, researchers estimated the prevalence of occupational noise exposure, hearing difficulty and heart conditions within U.S. industries and occupations. They also looked at the association between workplace noise exposure and heart disease.

The researchers found a link between a history of noise exposure at work and a significantly elevated risk of both high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. Other findings:

  • The industries with the highest prevalence of occupational noise exposure were mining (61 percent), construction (51 percent) and manufacturing (47 percent).
  • Occupations with the highest prevalence of occupational noise exposure were production (55 percent); construction and extraction (54 percent); and installation, maintenance and repair (54 percent).
  • Occupational noise exposure contributed to 58 percent of hearing difficulty cases, 14 percent of hypertension cases and 9 percent of elevated cholesterol cases.

“This study provides further evidence of an association of occupational noise exposure with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and the potential to prevent these conditions if noise is reduced,” Elizabeth Masterson, study lead author and NIOSH epidemiologist, said in a March 21 press release. “It is important that workers be screened regularly for these conditions in the workplace or through a health care provider so interventions can occur. As these conditions are more common among noise-exposed workers, they could especially benefit from these screenings.”

Safety

The study was published online March 14 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

SOURCE:

Improve your hearing naturally with these 5 tips

February 28, 2018

Improve your hearing naturally with these 5 tips

Do you find yourself saying “Sorry, can you repeat that” more often? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In fact, 25 percent of people aged 55 to 65 have some level of hearing loss and this number doubles for those over the age of 65.

Hearing loss can be caused by numerous factors including injury, continuous exposure to loud noises, and simply aging. But just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you have to accept the inevitability of hearing loss. If you’re looking for quick ways to start hearing better right now, try some of these tips.

5 TIPS TO START HEARING BETTER

Protect your ears from sound

Even if you can’t go back in time to lower the volume on your radio and TV, or avoid those really loud concerts, you can take the time now to preserve the hearing you have left. Silence is golden, or at least that’s how the saying goes, and it does hold true for your ears.

Avoid noisy areas when possible or invest in earplugs or headphones, which can cancel out the sound of those pounding noises. In fact, if you’re unsure whether an environment is too noisy, there is now an app for that! The app is called dB Volume Meter and it will indicate when the noises get too loud.

Get better earphones

Hearing Loss

If you use earphones regularly and they aren’t proper, they could be causing you harm. If you don’t have noise-canceling earphones, you could be cranking up the volume to compensate, but you should never listen to music through earphones more than 60 percent volume level unless you’re asking for hearing loss.

Find earphones or headsets that wrap around your ears, so they not only fit better but make it less likely that you hear the sounds around you. If you are looking for an even secure – custom fitting earphone, look at custom molded hearing protection which has the capability of also being a headset. Learn More… 

Ask about the dB Life Allsport!

All Sport

Try cupping your ear

It may look silly, but making a cup shape with your hand around your ear and pushing your ear ap forward can increase hearing by up to 10 decibels. For some, the trick is to press the ear against the skull. It depends on your anatomy. Try either option and
see which works best for you.

Pay attention to medication side effects

Believe it or not, the medication aimed at making you feel better could be robbing you of your hearing. Pay close attention to side effects of medications because hearing loss may very well be one of them.

If you’re concerned about medication stealing your hearing, speak to your doctor about alternatives.

Take out the wax

Sometimes, hearing loss is simply caused by a buildup of wax and the easiest solution is to remove it. But this does not mean you can go ahead and jab a cotton swab in it – this can lead to further damage. If you have wax buildup, put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide or olive oil in your ears for a few nights, and the wax will soften and come out easily. If ear-wax is a real problem for you, speak to your doctor about wax removal and prevention methods.

You may have an infection

Sometimes, ear infections can temporarily impair hearing, so if your hearing loss is accompanied by pain go see your doctor, as taking antibiotics or other medications may be a simple solution for you.

 

These are some natural ways to help improve hearing, but of course, if hearing loss is severe there are medical treatments you can resort to, including earplugs, hearing aids, or cochlear implants. Talk with your doctor about the options available to you.

 

SOURCE 
(http://www.belmarrahealth.com/hearing-loss-associated-with-poor-mental-health/)

By: Bel Marra Health (http://www.belmarrahealth.com/author/bel-marra-health/) | Hearing Health

(http://www.belmarrahealth.com/category/hearing-health) |

Edmonton Motorcycle Show

January 12, 2018

Get Your Fix @ The Edmonton Motorcycle Show

When the snow starts flying, where can you go to get your fix of two-wheel, three-wheel and four-wheel action!

THE 2018 EDMONTON MOTORCYCLE SHOW – the ultimate get-together for riders and future riders.

See all the NEW 2018 motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and side-by-sides, all under one roof.  Meet tons of experts, check out the latest gear and apparel, and get all-revved up for your next adventure!

Edmonton-MotorCycle

Whether you’re a hardcore rider or a recreational enthusiast, a curious fan or just tired of the cold winter weather, The 2018 Edmonton Motorcycle Show has got you covered!

Come See Custom Protect Ear and get fitted for dB Blockers today!

 

 

 

Happy Halloween! Protect Your Ears!

October 31, 2017

Happy Halloween! Protect Your Ears! `

Halloween brings more than just goblins and candy corn, it also brings FIREWORKS… It is very important that parents protect their children’s hearing as well as their own when exposed to LOUD Crackling fireworks.

How Fireworks Affect Hearing

Fireworks produce a sound output that is in the 150 to 175 decibel range. Each year, many people experience some damage to their hearing as a result of fireworks.

There are two things to note when considering whether or not fireworks will have the potential to cause hearing loss. First is the distance a person is from the sound source.  Sound is less likely to affect your hearing the further you are positioned from the firework explosion.

The second thing to consider is how loud the firework actually is. The World Health Organization recommends that adults not be exposed to more than 140 decibels of peak sound pressure. For children, the recommendation is 120 decibels. If you are dealing with a firework that explodes at 170 decibels, you would have to stand 15 to 20 meters away before you are at a safe limit. Children would have to stand 50 to 60 meters away from that same firework. Infants should not be exposed to fireworks because they generally experience the greatest amount of sound pressure.

CPE-Halloween-

Whether you are participating in recreational or professional fireworks, hearing protection is encouraged in both situations.  You could be at risk of having some hearing damage.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

CPE Team

SOURCE: https://www.boystownhospital.org/knowledgeCenter/articles/hearing/

Hearing Loss Prevention in the Food Industry

August 22, 2017

Hearing Loss Prevention in the Food Industry

dB Blocker for Food IndustryBehind that yummy assortment of bakery delights or that wonderfully prepared to go straight to the oven, frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu is an entire assembly of creative chefs and production staff who prepared it for you; production workers who are also exposed to workplace hazards every day. One specifically is industrial hearing loss.

The issue of hearing protection in the food processing industry — and in process industries in general — is somewhat more complex than it is in other industries in that employers must protect workers’ hearing as well as protect the purity of the product.

When it comes to food processing, the highest quality and hygiene standards must be maintained. With people’s lives and the earth’s future at stake, every step must be taken to ensure the welfare of the public and the environment. This puts a lot of pressure on employees to perform at their best, which is why many of your competitors are investing in their worker’s best interests.

Detectable Hearing Protectors

If you are the safety officer at a food processing company, the issue of providing hearing protection that is safe for people and process are not one to be taken lightly. There are two basic approaches to protect food products from stray hearing protectors: the first is to keep the hearing protector from falling into the product in the first place, and the second is to make it easily detectable if it does. Custom Protect Ear, manufacturers of dB Blockers™, has created three options of Metal Detectable dB Blockers that help with both approaches. (dB Blocker™ Metal Detectable (MD) Vented; dB Blocker™ Metal Detectable (MD) Non-Vented; dB Blocker™ Metal Detectable (MD) Communication Ear Piece)

Promoting Quality and Hygiene in the Food Processing Industry

To help your workers adhere to stringent quality and hygiene standards, dB Blockers™ are made of SkinSoft™ medical grade silicone, are hypoallergenic, washable, and nonporous so they don’t breed contaminants. As per food industry standards, the dB Blocker™ MD ear pieces are manufactured to provide for fast detectability in production line screening processes.

Should the ear pieces get misplaced or go missing, they can be easily replaced as the custom ear mold that is taken during the fitting process, is retained on file for five years. dB Blockers™ are custom fit, reusable hearing protection. They are not disposable; making them more cost effective to use than disposables.
With your workers’ hearing properly protected by dB Blockers™, you can rise above these challenges, enabling your workers to perform even more effectively.

“Over the years, CPE has anticipated our needs and far exceeded our expectations. They’re even working on advances to our protectors. They really take the time to understand the challenges we face in our daily operations.” ~ Maidstone Bakeries

dB BLOCKER™ METAL DETECTABLE Vented

 

Metal Detectable

Noise Induced Hearing Loss is a Growing Problem

The bottom line in all this, however, underscores the employers’ need to protect workers’ hearing. Despite the growing awareness of hearing loss and increased efforts to combat it, the incidence of noise induced hearing loss among industrial workers — food processing and otherwise — continues to rise. A recent National Health Interview Survey showed that hearing problems among individuals aged 45-64 years have risen 26% over the past 30 years. This means safety professionals need to not only take into account traditional Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR) in providing protective hearing protection but to also consider the human factor which undermines hearing conservation efforts.

Noise Exposure Among Federal Wildland Fire Fighters

August 10, 2017

Noise Exposure Among Federal Wildland Fire Fighters

Posted on April 17, 2017 by George Broyles , LCDR Corey Butler, CAPT Chuck Kardous

Hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States. NIOSH estimates that 22 million U.S. workers encounter noise exposures loud enough to be hazardous.  Wildland fire fighting (vs. urban/ structural fire fighting), aims to suppress grass, brush, or forest fires (see Figure 1).  Wildland fire fighting is considered a high-risk emergency response occupation requiring considerable physical and psychological demands. Wildland fire fighters often work 12 to more than 16 hours per shift for up to 14 consecutive days over a 3- to 9-month period [U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2008].

Figure 1. Wildland fire fighters during various fire suppression activities.

 

Wildland fire fighters often have extreme exposures to many physical agents and occupational hazards [Britton et al., 2013]. Similar to other high-risk occupations, research efforts and occupational safety and health programs have historically focused on identifying and preventing acute injuries and exposures, but less emphasis has been placed on research and prevention programs relating to chronic diseases or injuries such as occupational noise-induced hearing loss.

Although noise exposures and hearing loss among structural fire fighters have been well studied [Hong et al., 2008] and documented [National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 2013), wildland fire fighters have not received the same attention, nor have their noise exposures been empirically researched and studied. Wildland fire fighters may be repeatedly exposed to known sources of noise including chainsaws, aircraft, wood chippers, audio equipment, portable pumps and engine pumps, heavy equipment (e.g., bulldozers), and ambient noise from the wildfire itself.

In an effort to address noise exposures within this population, the United States Forest Service, Technology, and Development Program, in partnership with NIOSH, conducted a 3-year study to assess wildland fire fighters’ noise exposures during training and fire suppression tasks and to identify which jobs put these fire fighters at increased risk for NIHL. A recently published paper by USDA and NIOSH researchers on wildland fire fighters [Broyles et al., 2016] in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America reports on the initial results from the study, characterizes the most hazardous noise sources and job tasks based on personal dosimetry measurements, and provides specific and practical recommendations for protecting the hearing health of these fire fighters.

Noise exposure measurements were collected at 10 different fire locations during the 2014–2015 fire seasons. A total of 174 full-shift personal noise dosimetry measurements were conducted on 156 fire fighters in 14 different wildland fire fighting job categories. Overall, 85 of the 174 measurements were above the NIOSH maximum allowable daily dose.  Almost all masticator/chipper operators, pilots, pump operators, leaf blowers, sawyers and swampers, and bulldozer operators had TWAs that exceeded the NIOSH  recommended exposure level (REL) of 85 dBA (masticators/chippers TWAs reaching 105 dBA, sawyers and swampers TWAs reaching 106 dBA, and bulldozer operator TWAs reaching 112 dBA).  Fire fighters exposed to TWA of 105–106 dBA would exceed their maximum daily limit in just 4–5 minutes.  At 112 dBA, a bulldozer operator exceeded 100% noise dose in 56 seconds.  Bulldozer operators received the highest possible daily noise dose, some exceeding the OSHA maximum daily dose by 20-fold and the NIOSH maximum daily dose by 500-fold. It is interesting to note that four of the bulldozer operators had TWAs well below the NIOSH REL, most likely because they operated in a closed or environmental cabs which isolated the bulldozer operator from much of the noise generated from the heavy equipment.  Figure 2 contains the percentage of fire fighters’ personal dosimetry measurements that exceeded the NIOSH REL or the OSHA permissible exposure level (PEL) based on their specific activities or tasks.

Figure 2. Percentage of dosimetry samples exceeding the OSHA PEL and NIOSH REL per work category.

 

On the basis of these study results, wildland fire fighters may be considered at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. To prevent fire fighters from developing a hearing impairment, NIOSH recommends that all wildland fire fighters be enrolled in a hearing conservation program and that fire agencies establish and maintain fire service specific hearing loss prevention programs. In addition, the authors recommend additional studies to examine targeted approaches to mitigate risk among fire fighters with highest exposures.  See the full list of recommendations and read more about the noise exposures of wildland fire fighters in our recent paper: Noise exposure among federal wildland fire fighters.   If you are a wildland fire fighter or you work with wildland firefighters, please share your experiences with our readers.

George Broyles is a Fire and Fuels Project Leader with the Technology and Development Program, USDA Forest Service.

LCDR Corey Butler is an Occupational Safety and Health Specialist with the NIOSH Western States Division.

CAPT Chuck  Kardous is a senior research engineer with the NIOSH Division of Applied Research and Technology.

READ FULL ARTICLE 

 

Personalized Hearing Protection for the Pulp and Paper Industry

July 25, 2017

Personalized Hearing Protection for the Pulp and Paper Industry

Working in the pulp and paper industry, workers are frequently reminded to wear hearing protection and safety glasses. Most manufacturing areas mandate their use, and failure to comply with these rules frequently brings stern warnings or reprimands. Fortunately, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for sight and sound has almost become second nature to most Paper and Pulp plants. However, there are still some plants that have not found a way to enhance a safe workplace by implementing a hearing conservation program. Specializing in personalized hearing protective, ProtectEar USA has helped many manufacturing companies overcome their performance limitations and safety concerns. We start by assessing the noise levels and working conditions each person faces. then we determine the best protectors for the individual and make appropriate recommendations for optimal productivity, protection, and comfort.

Workers Can Protect Their Hearing with Custom Ear Plugs

Do not wait to experience any of these symptoms before you protect your ears with hearing protection. ProtectEar dB Blockers™ custom fit earplugs are more comfortable and offer superior hearing protection to any disposable earplug. However, did you know that they are more cost effective as well?

You can reduce your hearing protection costs by 60% over five years when an entire facility is fit. dB Blockers™ are more comfortable because there is only one way for them to fit and they made for each individual. They also make it easy for workers to communicate with each other because of our proprietary tuned filter that allows users to hear better with the plugs in than if they take them out.

As a Hearing Protection Manufacturer, it is great to see specific sectors like Pulp & Paper Canada take a stock in Noise Induced Hearing Loss. 

Pulp & Paper

Four steps for reducing workplace noise

 By WSPS

The most obvious impact is noise-induced hearing loss but stress, hypertension, poor sleep and mental health, and physical injury due to communications challenges can all be linked to noise exposure.One in five adults aged 19 to 79 already have mild hearing loss or more in at least one ear. Chances are, with time and continued exposure their hearing will worsen. Statistics like these have prompted the Ontario Ministry of Labour to launch an occupational noise initiative. From April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018 inspectors will be looking at how — and how well — employers are protecting workers from noise.

A noise regulation (381/15) passed in July 2016 says employers must follow a “hierarchy of controls” to protect workers. Under this hierarchy, engineering controls and work practices come before personal protective equipment (PPE), such as earplugs and ear muffs. Engineering solutions are the better option because they control noise everywhere eliminating the reliance on workers to wear protection.

Pulp & Paper

Create your own noise prevention plan with these four steps.

  1. Determine if your workers are exposed to high levels of noise. Be sure to pinpoint the sources of noise and who’s going to be affected where.
  2. Conduct a risk assessment. You can do a rudimentary assessment just by walking around and listening. If you’re looking for preliminary numbers, rent a sound level meter. There are also apps available that can be used as screening tools. Smartphone apps must be used cautiously however and shouldn’t be relied on for complete accuracy. If an app provides a number that hovers around 85dB (the current occupational limit more than eight hours), call in an occupational hygienist to do a proper survey.
  3. Determine the best way to protect employees:• Start with engineering controls. Can you reduce noise at the source or along the path of transmission? Before implementing a control (such as enclosing a machine), check with an expert to ensure you’re not introducing new hazards.• Look at work practices. Could repairs make machines less noisy? Could you adjust schedules to reduce workers’ exposure time or duration, or increase distance from the source?• Consider PPE if other controls are not possible. Select PPE carefully though. Talk to employees about what kind of protection they’d prefer and which is most comfortable. Ensure that workers are trained on care and use, including proper fit, limitations, inspection and maintenance, and most importantly hygiene. Dirty ear plugs can lead to other health issues.

    4. Ensure your controls are working. Implement a surveillance program that includes audiometric testing to make sure people are using hearing protection correctly and not suffering hearing loss.

 Read Full Article. 

← Old Posts