Hazard Hearing Environments-Metal Fabrication

November 26, 2019

When mobile workers in lean shops move into and out of noise-hazardous areas, they can’t simply wear maximum protection at all times to block out every hazardous noise.

Here are some tips on selecting the right protector for any situation that can solve these problems.
Despite the ongoing industry-wide attention and investment in hearing conservation programs and engineering solutions, extreme noise levels and the potential for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) are still being encountered by workers throughout the metal fabrication industry. A properly fitted foam earplug provides a simple solution for the highest level of protection, recommended where exposure to potentially damaging levels of noise may be encountered. A wide variety of foam earplug shapes and sizes are offered, however foam ear plugs are not always the safest and most reliable protection for your ears.  Over the past few years, we are seeing a shift in Occupational Health and Safety persuading workers and managers to adopt custom, personal or moulded hearing protection. To learn some tips for achieving the best possible fit of hearing protection see below.

If dirty or gloved hands make use of a roll-down foam earplug difficult, consider a hearing protector with a stem. Even some foam earplugs and custom ear plugs include a stem for insertion like the dB Blocker Grip. The new dB Blocker Grip innovative design targets industries where dirt, grime and larger hands may be an issue.

The new Grip’s non-slip integrated handle is formed in a single piece of dB Blocker silicone in order to deliver hassle-free ease of insertion screen-shot-2016-09-27-at-12-20-50-pmand removal. Learn more.  

Multiple-use hearing protection often make the best option for intermittent noise levels, or for situations where levels may require raised voices for clear communication. These protectors can be quickly and easily removed or replaced as hazardous noise levels increase or subside. Multiple-use models are usually available in a variety of shapes and sizes to match the variations in users’ ear canals.

Ear muffs can be used either alone or with insertable hearing protection of some type. In general, the larger the earcup of the muff, the greater the attenuation or lessening of the noise. The rule of thumb for dual protection is to add 5 dB to the attenuation of the hearing protection for the use of an earmuff in combination. Generally the earplug or ear mold is the more variable fit.

Where both hearing protection and clear communications are required, modern PPE technology offers two types of solutions. (Both beat the “old school” answer to this situation, wherein workers in a noisy environment just take out their earplugs whenever someone speaks to them. For obvious reasons, this is not a recommended solution. That is why more workers are wearing dB Blockers as its hearing protection you can hear through. The proprietary frequency tuned filter allows interpersonal communication without removal. People can communicate in noise better while wearing their dB Blockers™ hearing protectors than if they were to remove them. Your hearing loss prevention program will not interfere with productivity. Learn more. 

productive workers

For the most technologically sophisticated solution, consider a communication system. This advanced device incorporates hearing protection, active noise reduction, and voice signal amplification. It’s recommended where clear communication is critical, as in workplaces where misunderstanding a verbal communication could cause an injury or even a fatality.

In lean manufacturing, as more workers become mobile and move between or into and out of noise-hazardous areas, challenges with mobile workers present unknown exposure levels, uncertain availability of protection equipment, and difficulty in monitoring PPE use. PPE should be readily available at each worksite, everywhere that it is needed. Workers should know when and how to use their hearing protection. A good rule of thumb is that if you have to shout to speak to someone approximately an arm’s length away, you should both have hearing protection on.

The metalworking industry presents a stunning variety of hearing hazards, as punching, cutting, casting, stamping and forming machinery, equipment and tools of all varieties assault the ears with all sorts of constant, intermittent, and impact noise. In such a dynamic environment, with people and machines constantly on the move, it’s critical that workers maintain situational awareness to operate safely. However, they can’t simply wear maximum protection at all times to block out every hazardous noise. Such overprotection could too easily make them miss important voice communications or warning signals.

Nor can they periodically remove their hearing protectors to monitor machines or speak with colleagues. That’s a sure way to risk permanent, noise-induced hearing loss.

HEARING CONSERVATION
Whether a formal hearing conservation program is required or not, the goal is to have a safe work environment at all work locations. Workers should go home with the same level of health and wellness the brought to work. Using the right hearing protection maintains a worker’s hearing health, but also allows that worker to safely complete his or her job.

Regulations require that employers furnish adequate hearing protection on the job. Finding the right hearing safeguards for the myriad needs at worksites across the metalworking industry not only provides compliance: it ensures that workers remain protected and productive. Learn more about improving productivity in the metal machine & fabrication industry or download the PDF – Click here to download a brochure (Adobe PDF)


SOURCE

Listen Up about Workplace Noise Monitoring

November 7, 2019

Listen Up about Workplace Noise Monitoring – Kicking it up a notch

According to OSHA, each year 22 million employees are exposed to hazardous noises at work, making hearing loss the most common work-related injury. It’s time to understand, and consider, the role technology can play in workplace noise monitoring.

According to OSHA, each year 22 million employees are exposed to hazardous noises at work, making hearing loss the most common work-related injury. It’s time to understand, and consider, the role technology can play in workplace noise monitoring.
Setting Standards in Place

 

noise

The goal of all employers should be for their employees to leave work in the same condition as they began—healthy and safe. When an organization displays its dedication to employee safety through responsible practices and initiatives, it results in increased productivity and employee morale, as well as decreased insurance costs.

In 2018, ISO 45001 was established as the new standard for occupational health and safety (OHS) to reduce the burden of regulation and prevent workplace injuries and fatalities, providing a framework to improve employee safety and create safer working conditions. It is an international standard that specifies requirements for an OHS management system, with guidance for its use and to enable an organization to proactively improve its OHS performance in preventing injury and ill health. ISO 45001 is intended to be applicable to any organization regardless of its size, type, or nature, and all of its requirements are intended to be easily integrated into an organization’s own management processes.

Hazards and risks in the workplace need to be identified and, more importantly, eliminated or reduced to appropriate levels.

ISO 45001 highlights both noise and dust exposure issues, as well as the value of workplace monitoring. Research shows that stronger occupational regulation of noise leads to safer sound levels, which results in safer employees.

Impacts of Occupational Hearing Loss

NIOSH recommends that workers are not exposed to noise at a level that amounts to more than 85 decibels (dBA) over eight continuous hours. An estimated 24 percent of hearing loss in the United States has been attributed to workplace exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common occupational illnesses, it is often ignored because there are no visible effects. It usually develops over a long period of time and, except in very rare cases, there is no pain. What does occur is a progressive loss of communication, socialization, and responsiveness to the environment. In its early stages, it affects the ability to understand or differentiate speech. As it progresses to the lower frequencies, it begins to affect the ability to hear sounds in general.

The primary effects of workplace noise exposure include noise-induced temporary threshold shift, noise-induced permanent threshold shift, acoustic trauma, and tinnitus. A noise-induced temporary threshold shift is a short-term decrease in hearing sensitivity that returns to the pre-exposed level in a matter of hours or days, assuming there is not continued exposure to excessive noise.

If noise exposure continues, the shift can become a noise-induced permanent threshold shift, which is a decrease in hearing sensitivity that is not expected to improve over time. If workers experience standard threshold shifts, employers are required to fit or refit the workers with hearing protectors, train them in the use of the hearing protectors, and require the workers to use them.

 

noiseThe effects of excessive noise exposure are made worse when workers have extended shifts (longer than eight hours). With extended shifts, the duration of the noise exposure is longer and the amount of time between shifts is shorter. This means that the ears have less time to recover between noisy shifts and damage can more quickly become permanent.

Tinnitus, or “ringing in the ears,” can occur after long-term exposure to high sound levels, or sometimes from short-term exposure to very high sound levels. Regardless of the cause, this condition is a disturbance produced by the inner ear and interpreted by the brain as sound. Individuals with tinnitus describe it as a hum, buzz, roar, ring, or whistle, which can be short term or permanent.

Hazardous levels of noise exposure should be a priority for employers to monitor to avoid implications for both themselves and their employees.
Measuring noise levels and noise exposure is the most important part of a workplace hearing conservation and noise control program. It helps identify locations where there are noise problems, employees who may be affected, and where additional noise measurements need to be made.

Changing the Workplace with Technology

To assess the risk of workplace noise, a variety of monitoring solutions may be installed and utilized. Noise dosimeters are ideal for personal exposure monitoring and a mobile workforce, while sound level meters can be used to check areas or an individual’s exposure for a stationary task. Plus, we are also seeing in an increase of customized hearing protection such as molded hearing like dB Blockers. Customized hearing solutions are costly up front but they last 5 years and are custom fit to the ear leaving little margin of noise error.

Noise exposures are monitored using established technology and are the responsibility of occupational hygienists, a health and safety manager, or another trained expert. Data collection provides concrete information highlighting key paths for change and can help the organization to achieve compliance with government standards and protect its workforce effectively. Some of the devices that companies are using are Fit Check Testing devices where they will measure any earplug from any source. Some examples of these are Custom Protect Ear’s FitCheck Solo.

To increase the success of workplace noise monitoring, workers must understand its importance and the long-term, negative health effects that could result. If noise monitoring technology is used, quantitative data can be captured and any risks or potential areas of concern can be identified.


SOURCE
By Justin StewartSep 01, 2019 – https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2019/09/01/Listen-Up-Kicking-Workplace-Noise-Monitoring-Up-a-Notch.aspx?Page=3

Westone Acquires North America’s Largest Custom-Fit Industrial Hearing Protection Manufacturer

March 12, 2019

For Immediate Release

Westone

 

 

Westone Laboratories
2235 Executive Circle
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
www.Westone.com

Westone Acquires North America’s Largest Custom-Fit Industrial Hearing Protection Manufacturer

Colorado Springs, CO – February 14, 2019 – In partnership with their principal investment group, HealthEdge Investment Partners, Westone Laboratories, Inc., a market leader in custom earpieces, high performance in-ear monitoring technology and hearing protection, announced it has closed on its acquisition of Custom Protect Ear, the largest custom-fit industrial hearing protection manufacturer in North America.

Zubin Meshginpoosh, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Westone shared, “We are delighted to join forces with Custom Protect Ear, the most trusted brand in custom-fit hearing protection used by hundreds of industrial clients across a wide variety of industries.”

Jeffrey Goldberg, Chairman, and CEO of Custom Protect Ear added, “Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is an epidemic in the workplace, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to eradicate it. This partnership with Westone allows us to expand our geographic reach, increase the pace of innovation and have a positive impact on more lives.”

Custom Protect Ear’s management team and operations will remain headquartered in Vancouver, BC with an operating subsidiary, ProtectEar USA, based in the United States.


About Westone

Established in 1959, Westone Laboratories is celebrating 60 years of delivering custom earpieces that protect and enhance hearing, facilitate communication, and support hearing healthcare professionals. The largest manufacturer of custom earpieces in the world with both hearing healthcare and music specialists on our research, development and production teams, Westone is recognized as a leading innovator across the custom earplug, hearing protection, and music industries. Westone is a proud partner of the United States Military providing specially designed communication-enabled and hearing protection earpieces for service members and first-responders around the world. It is our people, our experience, and our products that truly make Westone “The In-Ear Experts®.” For more information, visit Westone.com or contact Jeff Ipson at (719) 540-9333.

About Custom Protect Ear

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Custom Protect Ear was founded in 1976 and provides effective, verifiable, and noise level matched industrial hearing protection to over 4,500 corporate clients worldwide across a wide range of industries including distribution, manufacturing, machining, energy, packaging, public safety & security, transportation, and food. CPE is a certified and compliant ISO 9001 manufacturer that incorporates both traditional handcrafted manufacturing processes and leading-edge 3D printing technology. Known for their product quality and customer service, CPE utilizes a custom fitting process performed by highly trained technicians to personalize every protective earpiece to each user then backs it with a ‘FitRight Guarantee’ and industry-leading warranty program. For more information, visit ProtectEar.com

About HealthEdge Investment Partners

HealthEdge Investment Partners, LLC is an operating-oriented private equity firm founded in 2005 that focuses exclusively on the healthcare industry. HealthEdge seeks to achieve superior returns by investing in businesses that benefit from the knowledge, experience, and network of relationships of its partners. HealthEdge’s partners have more than 100 years of combined operating experience in healthcare as CEOs and investors. For more information on HealthEdge, please visit HealthEdgepartners.com or contact Elizabeth Breslin at (813) 490-7104.

Autism and noise sensitivity

November 14, 2017

Living with Autism and noise sensitivity

dB Blocker Brie testing out her new dB Blockers

High and intense noises can have a severe impact on people living with Autism. Autistic children are very sensitive to specific sounds and pitches that others are not affected by. The downside to sound sensitivity is that noise quickly becomes painful and can even trigger a panic attack. When a person hears multiple sounds simultaneously, it becomes almost impossible to pay attention to the task at hand. Separating and prioritizing sounds will drain a person’s energy, and the constant assault of noise may cause a person’s anxiety level to escalate.

Types of sensitivity for people with Autism

According to the Blog article, following conditions are the 5 most common types of sensitivities.  Keep in mind that a person may be affected by more than one issue.

  • Hyperacusis is an intolerance of everyday environmental sounds and is often associated with tinnitus, a ringing in the ears.
  • Hypersensitive hearing of specific frequencies is often (but not always) associated with autism. A person can tolerate most sounds at normal levels, but certain frequencies are intolerable, especially above 70 decibels.
  • Recruitment is directly related to sensorineural hearing loss. It is defined as an atypical growth in the perception of loudness. Hair cells in the inner ear typically “translate” sound waves into nerve signals.
  • Phonophobia (also called ligyrophobia or sonophobia) is a persistent and unusual fear of sound, either a specific sound such as an alarm or general environmental sounds.
  • Misophonia is an emotional reaction, most often anger or rage, to specific sounds. The trigger is usually a relatively soft sound related to eating or breathing and may be connected to only one or a few people who are emotionally close to the affected person.

 

A little Help from CPE with Noise Sensitivity

Brie is a vibrant young girl living with a mild case of autism, and Custom Protect Ear is happy to help her manage her sensitivity to noise. Brie is a proud owner of her own personalized dB Blockers that assist her in coping with noise in her environment.

Brie dB Blockers

“I cannot thank you enough for the custom pieces you made for my daughter’s ears.  

I often ask her how she likes certain books, food, music, shows, etc. and she will respond indifferently with “fine”, “ok” or “meh” – when I ask her how she likes her earplugs she has consistently responded enthusiastically “AMAZING”. She has mentioned independently while at the park or for walks that “those earplugs will be GREAT for assemblies” at school. I didn’t realize how stressful a simple assembly could be in her special condition! Your product has truly made an impact. Looking forward to trying out in a variety of situations “

 

~ Michelle (Brie’s Mother)

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To Read More about our dB CARES Program click here

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SOURCE: http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2014/05/06/noise-control-11-tips-for-helping-your-child-with-autism-deal-with-noise/