OSHA 3498-12N 2011

1 osha 3498-12N 2011If you are a construction worker, this pocket guideis written for you. Small contractors should alsofind this information helpful. You are encouragedto go to the references in this document and tothe osha website for more guidance document is not a standardor regulation, and it creates no new legalobligations. The guidance is advisory in nature,informational in content, and is intended tohelp construction workers and supervisorsunderstand and reduce noise exposure on jobsites. Employers are required to comply withsafety and health standards as issued andenforced by either the Federal OccupationalSafety and Health Administration ( osha ), oran osha -approved State Plan. In addition,Section 5(a)(1) ofTheOccupationalSafetyandHealthAct, the General Duty Clause, requiresemployers to provide their workers with aworkplace free from recognized hazards likelyto cause death or serious physical can be cited for violating theGeneral Duty Clause if there is such a recog-nized hazard and they do not take reasonablesteps to prevent or abate the hazard.

2 However,failure to implement these guidelines is not, initself, a violation of the General Duty can only be based on standards,regulations, and the General Duty Safety andHealth AdministrationContentsWhy is job site noise control important to me? 2 How does hearing damage happen?3 How do I know if my tools or job site are toonoisy?5 Sound Level Meter and Noise Dosimeter52-3 Foot Rule and Noise Indicator6 Sound Level Chart7 What can be done about job site noise levels? 8 Plan Ahead8 Noise Control at the Job Site9 Noise Hazard Control Process9 Maintain and Retrofit Equipment10 What can be done if engineering andadministrative controls are not enough?12 Proper Selection and Use ofHearing Protection12 Regular Hearing Screenings13 Hearing Protective Devices14My job site is too noisy. What can I do?

3 16Am I protected if I call osha ?17 Additional osha Assistance18 osha Regional Offices21 Appendix: More Information onNoise Protection23 Occupational Safety andHealth Administration2 WORKER SAFETY SERIESWhy is job site noise controlimportant to me?Exposure to high levels of noise can causepermanent hearing loss. Neither surgery nor ahearing aid can help correct this type of hearingloss. construction sites have many noisyoperations and can be a significant source ofnoise noise can also reduce work productivityand contribute to workplace accidents bymaking it difficult to hear warning loss from loud noise limits your abilityto hear high frequencies, understand speech,and reduces your ability to communicate,which can lead to social isolation. Hearing losscan affect your quality of life by interfering withyour ability to enjoy socializing with friends,playing with your children or grandchildren, orparticipating in other to your hearingcan be prevented, butonce permanent noise-induced hearing lossoccurs, itcannot be curedor reversed.

4 Hearingloss usually occurs gradually, so you may notrealize it is happening until it is too can alsoaffect your body in other recent study found that workers persistentlyexposed to excessive occupational noise maybe two-to-three times more likely to suffer fromserious heart disease than workers who werenot Safety andHealth Administration1 Gan, W. et al., Exposure to Occupational Noiseand Cardiovascular Disease in the United States:NHANES 1999-2004, Occup Environ Med YOURSELF FROM NOISE IN CONSTRUCTION3 Occupational Safety andHealth AdministrationYou may have hearing loss if: You have a hard time hearing people ingroups or meetings or if there is back-ground noise. People sound as if they are mumbling. You have to ask people to repeat what theysay. You have trouble understanding others onthe telephone.

5 You have ringing or noises in one or bothears. You have trouble hearing back-up alarmsor the ringing of a cell does hearing damagehappen?A one-time exposure to a sudden powerfulnoise, such as an explosion, may damage yourhearing instantly. Prolonged exposures to loudnoise can lead to a gradual, but permanent,loss of can occur within the ear at noiselevels similar to that of running a lawn mowerfor eight hours. At first, this may cause atemporary loss of hearing that may last as longas 14-16 hours. With repeated exposure to highnoise levels and periodic exposures to veryhigh noise levels ( , with the use of nailguns), as is common at most constructionjob sites, your hearing may not fully often, the loss of hearing occurs slowlyover time from exposure to moderate levels ofnoise. When that happens, the hearing lossbecomes permanent.

6 This is why workplacenoise is sometimes referred to as a stealthlong-term hazard because it is a painless,gradual Safety andHealth Administration4 WORKER SAFETY SERIESH earing loss occurs when cilia, tiny hair cellsthat line the inner ear, are damaged. At first, thedamage happens to the cilia that receive thehigher frequencies. Gradually, noise damagesmore of the ear and affects how speech isheard. If you hear muffled or distorted speechsounds, that may be an indication that asubstantial hearing loss has already addition to hearing loss, you also mayexperience ringing in the ears. This is calledtinnitus, and can occur even without otherapparent hearing inner ear lined with cilia, tiny hair cellsthat help you ear showing damage to the courtesy of National Hearing Conservation AssociationOccupational Safety andHealth AdministrationPROTECTING YOURSELF FROM NOISE IN CONSTRUCTION5 How do I know if my toolsor job site are too noisy?

7 Sound intensity is measured in decibels. Whendecibels are adjusted for how the ear sensessound, the sound level intensity is measured asdBA. Decibels are measured on a logarithmicscale, which means that a small increase in thenumber of decibels results in a huge change inthe amount of noise and the potential damageto a person s hearing. So, if the level increasesby 3 dBA this doubles the amount of the noiseand reduces the recommended amount ofexposure time by Level Meter and Noise DosimeterSafety and healthinspectors measure soundor noise levels using adevice called asoundlevelmeter. The microphoneis positioned at the user sear level. Equipment thatis determined to be loudcan be labeled with ahazardous noise usesnoisedosimetersto documentthe average noise expo-sure over your workingday or of a particular taskfor part of your recommendsthatworkplace noise levels bekept below 85 dBA as an8-hour time-weightedaverage.

8 As the noise levelincreases, it damages yourhearing more level meterDosimeterImages courtesy of Casella CEL Inc., Amherst, Safety andHealth Administration6 WORKER SAFETY SERIESR esearch indicates that your hearing can bedamaged by regular 8-hour exposures to 85dBA. When noise is as loud as 100 dBA (likea jackhammer or stud welder), it can takerepeated exposures of as little as 1 hour perday to damage your National Institute for Occupational Safetyand Health (NIOSH) has recommended that allworker exposures to noise should be controlledbelow a level equivalent to 85 dBA for eighthours to minimize occupational noise-inducedhearing loss. NIOSH has found that significantnoise-induced hearing loss occurs at theexposure levels equivalent to the osha PELbased on updated information obtained fromliterature reviews.

9 NIOSH also recommends a3 dBA exchange rate so that every increase by3 dBA represents a doubling of the amount ofthe noise and halves the recommended amountof exposure Foot Rule and Noise IndicatorWhen a sound level meter is not available, youshould use the 2-to-3 foot rule: Stand about anarm s length away from your coworker: If youhave to raise your voice to be heard 2-3 feetaway, you should assume that the sound levelis at or above 85 a warning indicates if your immediate exposure is lessthan or greater than 85 dBA. It flashes green ifthe sound level is under 85 dBA and red whenabove 85 Safety andHealth AdministrationPROTECTING YOURSELF FROM NOISE IN CONSTRUCTION7 Sound Level ChartEquipment and daily activities at constructionjob sites can expose workers to high levels ofnoise. Sound levels on the chart below arelisted in decibels (dBA) the larger the number,the higher the volume or decibel level.

10 Howloud the noise is (volume), how long the noiselasts, and how close you are to the noise are allimportant in determining the Safety andHealth Administration8 WORKER SAFETY SERIESWhat can be done about jobsite noise levels?Plan AheadOne of the best ways to reduce exposure tohazardous noise on a work site is by planningfor potential exposure before activities jobs produce high noise levels, there areways to reduce your exposure other than or inaddition to hearing instance, your employer or supervisorcan buy materials to build sound barriers orschedule noisy activities during hours whenfewer people are working. Your employer canalso rent or buy quieter employer should hold daily or weeklysafety meetings to discuss ways to limit highnoise levels and other hazards. During safetymeetings, the general contractor can ask sub-contractors to describe the planned tasks forthe day or week where hazardous noise mightbe generated, as well as what equipment willbe used; you can use these opportunities to talkabout ways to limit changes in the noise level that seem small( , 3 dBA) are actually significant reductionsin the are some specific ways to limitexposure: Plan to make or use prefabricated noisebarriers.