When does hearing loss, or hearing impairment, become the result of a work-related exposure?After all, we live in a world where loud noises are common, like from heavy city traffic, or even the music so kindly being shared through the open windows of the car stopped next to you.And there’s often that person who thinks headphones are speakers and has the music playing loud enough that it can be heard by everyone in the room.So yes, loud noise is common.And yes, loud noise can lead to hearing loss.

There is no denying that the tools that we use in our lines of work create loud noise, too, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that employees will lose their hearing.  With the proper workplace hearing protection controls in place to eliminate, reduce, and protect against potentially damaging noise exposures, we reduce the chances that our employees will experience occupational hearing loss.

The best protection we can provide is to eliminate the hazard, by eliminating the need to work with the tools or in the environments that create these noise exposures.  Realistically, though, this isn’t always possible.We can also work to reduce the noise levels that employees are exposed to.Some tools and machines are available that are designed to operate at lower decibels, therefore reducing the risk of hearing loss.We can also implement administrative controls, such as placing a cap on the number of hours that an employee can work in a high decibel environment, or limit the hours working with specific tools and equipment.How then, do we protect our employees and their hearing?

Our final line of protection is Ear plugs and ear muffs,it can reduce the decibel exposures, providing protection against hearing loss.Ear plugs provide the greatest amount of protection as long as they are inserted correctly.Therefore, employees need to be trained to wear them correctly when they are used. Ear muffs can also reduce the decibel exposures, though not to the extent that ear plugs can.They are easier to wear correctly, though, which is why some workers prefer them.

Some high decibel exposures may be unavoidable to perform the tasks necessary for our operations, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t take steps to protect employees and their hearing while at work.What they do in their free time, like attending a rock concert (which can peak at 130 decibels), becomes their choice.