Preventive measures

Preventing noise exposure in the workplace involves a combination of engineering controls, administrative measures, and personal protective equipment.

Engineering controls

Engineering controls are the most effective and include using quieter machinery, installing sound barriers, and maintaining equipment to reduce noise levels. Isolating noisy equipment or processes can also help minimize the spread of noise to other areas. Regular maintenance ensures that machinery operates smoothly and quietly, reducing the overall noise output.

Administrative measures

Administrative measures involve changing work practices to limit the duration and intensity of noise exposure. This can include rotating workers to different tasks to reduce the time spent in noisy environments and scheduling noisy operations when fewer workers are present. Providing training on the risks of noise exposure and the proper use of hearing protection is also crucial.

Personal protective equipment

Personal protective equipment, such as earplugs or earmuffs, should be provided and used correctly to protect workers’ hearing.

By combining these strategies, employers can effectively reduce noise exposure and protect their employees’ hearing health.

In the video below you can see how to fit an earplug correctly.

Information and Hearing Conservation Programs

All workplaces with high noise levels must enforce strict regulations and requirements, making them clear to workers. These workplaces should implement a hearing conservation program tailored to their specific needs. Key aspects of such a program include:

Risk Assessment

• Evaluate noise exposures in all relevant areas. If work procedures change or new equipment is introduced, conduct new measurements or evaluations.
• Conduct clinical examinations and hearing tests for all workers at the start of employment and regularly thereafter, based on risk assessment recommendations and individual susceptibility to hearing damage.

Assessing the hearing ability of workers can be challenging. Special soundproof rooms and audiometers are required, which are often not available at workplaces. However, our colleagues in Tanzania have developed a solution: a mobile unit for hearing tests. The video below demonstrates how this unit is used.

Plan for Improvement

• Develop a plan for improvement with clearly defined responsibilities and a timeline for actions.

Information and Education

• Inform workers about the reasons for any changes when improvements are implemented.
• Provide training on the use of new instruments and work routines.
• Ensure regular training on the use and importance of protective equipment.

Laws and regulations

Many governments have produced their own national guidelines, often based on internationally agreed standards. Internationally, there is a recommended limit of 85 dB for continuous noise, chosen to protect the median of the population against noise-induced hearing loss after 40 years of occupational exposure at this level. The limit for impulse noise is often set to 140 dB, but this varies nationally due to differing opinions on the effects of the number of impulse noise incidents, their duration, and other factors.