OSHA Hearing Protection Requirements

OSHA Hearing Protection Requirements were put into place to help protect employees hearing. Every year many people are subjected to loud noises at their work places. When an employee is subjected to loud noises over a long period of time this can result in hearing loss. That is the main reason that OSHA hearing protection requirements are essential. When noises levels are high at a place of employment it is up to the employer to supply the appropriate hearing protection. Here are some more OSHA hearing protection requirements that must be followed by all employers.

OSHA uses a system called Time Weighed Average or TWA. The idea behind TWA is the measuring of noise levels. Noise levels within a work place are not to exceed 85 dB(A). If noise levels do exceed this, than a hearing protection program must be put into action. OSHA hearing protection requirements state, that the program must meet certain guidelines. Each employee must be educated and trained on the proper use of hearing protective gear. The program must stress how important it is to use the hearing protective gear whenever the employees are on the job. Training of hearing protection must not stop with the introduction of hearing protection gear, it needs to be an ongoing process.OSHA hearing protection requirements also require that each and every employee that is being exposed to the loud noises must have their hearing checked annually.

Once you the employer puts forth a hearing protection program, it is up to you to enforce the program. If employees are not following the OSHA hearing protection requirements it may be time for you to take corrective action. If at first your employees are not following the standards, it’s time for retraining. Check to make sure that the hearing protection provided to the employee is comfortable and is performing its job correctly. If these tactics fail to work with an employee, it may be time to consider dismissal or maybe transferring them to a different department.

When it is time to select the appropriate hearing protection for your work place, there are some important things to consider. It is better to purchase a few different options in hearing protection for your employees. This will give them the chance to choose what works best for them and your employees will be more prone to wear them if they are comfortable and suit them. It is the employer’s responsibility to pay for the cost of hearing protection. It is also their responsibility to pay for any replacements of hearing protection that might occur. When it comes down to it, it is your job to supply the hearing protection and your employees job to wear it.

OSHA hearing protection regulations have set standards that say what is appropriate levels of noise to be exposed to for certain amounts of time. This standard is called Noise Reduction Rating or NRR. This formula was develop by OSHA and is widely used among many employers. This is how this formula works:

OSHA hearing protection regulations most always be followed by employers, when loud noises take place within their workplace. Employers and employees a like most always be protected from hearing loss and injury. With just these few simple OSHA hearing protection regulations you will be on your way to making your work place a lot safer. These are just the main points of OSHA’s hearing protection requirements. If you would like to see all the regulations for hearing protections, go to the OSHA website and there they will have all the standards in depth. If you would like information on other safety topics also check out the OSHA Website.

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