Identify the Loss Problem
Cuts & scrapes heal and can leave behind scar tissue depending in the severity and treatment in the process, in some instances a story to tell. Broken bones can mend back into close to their original condition with proper placement and time. Our hearing is another story. It can degrade as we age and damaged in the industrial realm by overexposure to noise. According to Mosby's dictionary of medicine, nursing, & health professions (2012), Hearing Loss is defined as "an inability to perceive the normal range of sounds audible to an individual with normal hearing." Most damage caused to the inner ear is irreversible and cannot be healed naturally. There are electro-mechanical means of amplifying sound to the damaged inner ear, but it would be best to implement defensive tactics beforehand so that we can maintain our hearing. Excessive noise created in an industrial area is recurrently permanent. Practicing hearing conservation through the usage of distance, physical barriers and wearing hearing protection are strongly encouraged, if not mandated by AFOSH, OSHA and other regulations. Routine audiology exams can determine the employees ability to differentiate frequencies to detect loss of hearing.
Mosby's dictionary of medicine, nursing, & health professions. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com.ezproxy.li bproxy.db.erau.edu/content/entry/ehsmosbymed/hearing_loss/0
Hazard Analysis
A common question
is; when should hearing protection be worn? Each work center should
have a noise level survey accomplished to determine whether or not hearing
protection should be used. When necessary hearing protection is required,
signage should/shall be placed in conspicuous areas prior to entering the
noise-prone area.
Hearing loss can contribute to other disfunctions which rely upon your hearing capability. In a blog written by Danny Gnewikow (2014), he addressed several other functions which could be encountered through the loss of hearing,
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Laws and Regulations
OSHA has predetermined exposure limits within noise-prone areas and is identified as such; "OSHA sets legal limits on noise exposure in the workplace. These limits are based on a worker's time weighted average over an 8 hour day. With noise, OSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 90 dBA for all workers for an 8 hour day. The OSHA standard uses a 5 dBA exchange rate. This means that when the noise level is increased by 5 dBA, the amount of time a person can be exposed to a certain noise level to receive the same dose is cut in half."
Scope and Magnitude
Hearing loss induced by noise within the delicate inner structure
of the ear can be sudden from a single highly percussive event like an
explosion, or can be strung out over extended periods of time in an industrial
setting like years of flight line work in the presence of high frequency engine
run-ups. The hearing loss can be
temporary or permanent, minor or severe, depending upon the incidence(s) and
the individual.
An article from Machinery & Equipment (2007), it is stated that
"Lower overall daily exposure to
noise will help prevent hearing loss in workers, which led to an estimated $100
million in compensation costs being paid out by the Workplace Safety and
Insurance Board (WSIB) over the past decade." Not only does the loss of an
employee's hearing effect the individual, it cost the company money in
compensation and potential loss of production.
ONTARIO TO
FURTHER PROTECT INDUSTRIAL WORKERS FROM HEARING LOSS. (2007). Machinery
& Equipment, 23(1), 8. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/228257616?accountid=27203
Status of Prevention
- Administrative and Engineering Controls
Exposure to noise can be controlled to an extent by applying a few simple, cost effective measures;
- Using engineering controls can muffle the noise by designing a shielding enclosure to minimize exposure to the worker.
- Proper maintenance can aide in the reduction of noise generated by grinding parts which are in need of service of lubrication and cleaning.
- Hearing protection is a less costly, but widely accepted alternative to engineering out the noise cause. Earmuffs and earplugs provide a reduction of noise level that is being generated, but may be uncomfortable for extended use.
- Hearing Protection Program
OSHA guidelines for the Hearing Protection Program must be implemented whenever the conditions that the worker is exposed to a decibel rating of 85 or higher within 8 hours. OSHA makes the following important elements of a proper effective hearing conservation program;
What can be done to address the hazard or exposure?
- Training and Education
- Supervision involvement
- Hearing Protection Program
- Advertising
The music industry can parallel some of the dangers of hearing loss as well as industrial.
May has been designated Better Hearing (and Speech) Month since 1927
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Constant exposure to high decibel noises over a long period of time without hearing protection is a recipe for disaster.
Cory Schaeffer co-founded Listen Technologies in 1998 and posted this in her blog (2013) May Is Hearing Loss Awareness Month;
Practice what to say if friends ask why you wear hearing protectors.
Be blunt: “It’s earplugs now . . . or hearing aids later.”
Be funny: “My career goal is to be an underwater piano tuner. Hearing loss will kill my dream.”
Be smart: “I wear a bicycle helmet to protect my head and earmuffs to protect my hearing.”
Be a friend: “Hearing loss from too much noise is permanent —and totally preventable. Want to know how?”
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Getting the story-line first-hand is probably the best way to get a point across, hearing-loss is no different. We can harp on the subject day in and day out but there will always be those who think that they are immune to the not-so-silent killer of hearing loss. Have individuals who have learned the hard way is a get-in-your-face tactic which would bring the subject matter close to heart. Once your hearing is gone, it will not come back naturally.
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