that OSHA allows a 5 dB addition to the
highest de-rated noise reduction rating of
the protectors.
Motivating security personnel to wear
hearing protection offers additional challenges. Younger officers may feel invincible and have difficulty understanding the
impact of hearing loss later in life. Those
with military experience, particularly if
they’ve seen combat, may be more concerned about immediate safety hazards,
such as firearms discharge. Others may
feel that they need to train under “
realistic” circumstances and are certain they
would not take the time to insert earplugs
when engaging an adversary.
OHS professionals have several options
for motivating employees:
• Supplement company-wide required
training with small-group training that
gives employees the opportunity to
voice concerns and address any rumors
associated with noise and hearing loss.
• Demonstrate the impact of hearing loss
through the use of audio files (
available through an Internet search) and
invite employees with hearing loss to
share their stories.
• Give employees the opportunity to
practice inserting earplugs. Teach them
to watch out for each other’s use of
hearing protection, just as they would
watch out for each other in any hazardous situation.
• Discuss the increased accuracy obtained when use of hearing protection
lessens the tendency to flinch.
• Emphasize that most hearing loss in
the workplace occurs as a result of
training exercises rather than from real
workplaces. Add that hearing loss may
affect an employee’s ability to qualify
as a security officer due to minimum
medical fitness requirements.
Ongoing Challenges
The challenges associated with monitoring
noise exposure in variable and impulsive
environments have long been the subject
of discussion in many forums. In Novem-
ber 2008, NIOSH hosted a workshop to
obtain stakeholder input on research
needs regarding the use of direct-reading
exposure assessment methods (D.R.E.A.M.)
for measuring worker exposures to noise
and other agents. The D.R.E.A.M. Work-
shop identified several research priorities,
including taking a new look at damage
risk criteria and developing new technol-
ogy to assess exposure in more settings.
More information can be found at
www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-133.
Thisworkwasperformedundertheauspicesofthe
U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore
NationalLaboratoryunderContractDE-AC52-
07NA27344.
LaurelA.Davis,MPH,CIH,isanindustrialhygienist
and training specialist at Lawrence Livermore Na-tionalLaboratory,inLivermore, Calif.Laurelisapast-chairoftheAIHANoiseCommittee.Shecanbe
reachedat(925)422-3335or
laurel.davisCIH@yahoo.com.
RyanKamerzell,CIH,isanindustrialhygienistat
LawrenceLivermoreNationalLaboratory.Hecanbe
reachedat(925) 424-4709orkamerzell2@llnl.gov.
Jennifer Murphy Kapp, CIH, is an industrial hygienist
at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Jennifer
is working on her MSPH in industrial hygiene
throughtheTulaneUniversityDistance
Learning Program. She can be
reached at (925) 423-7861 or
murphykapp@yahoo.com.
References
Kardous CA, et al: “Limitations of
Using Dosimeters in Impulse Noise Environments.” Journal of Occupational
and Environmental Hygiene, 1( 7): 456-
462 (2004).
A Plan to Conserve Hearing | FEATURE
Resources for Noise
and Hearing Conservation
ACGIH® TLVs:
AIHA Noise Committee website:
www.aiha.org/Content/InsideAIHA/
Volunteer+Groups/ noisecomm.htm
Canadian Centre for Occupational
Health and Safety web page:
www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/
prevention/ppe/ ear_prot.html
European Agency for Safety and
Health at Work, Noise at Work website: http://osha.europa.eu/en/
topics/noise
Institute of Noise Control Engineering: www.inceusa.org
Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund
of North America:
www.lhsfna.org/noise
OSHA Noise and Hearing Conservation topics:
www.osha.gov/SLTC/noisehearing-conservation/ index.html
National Hearing Conservation
Association:
www.hearingconserva-tion.org
National Institute on Deafness and
Other Communication Disorders,
Noise-induced Hearing Loss web
page: www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/
hearing/ noise.asp
NIOSH Noise and Hearing Loss
Prevention website:
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise
Noise Pollution Clearinghouse:
www.nonoise.org
World Health Organization, Noise
and Health website:
www.euro.who.int/Noise (includes the
downloadable book, “Occupational
exposure to noise: evaluation, prevention and control,” www.who.int/
occupational_health/publications/
occupnoise/en/ index.html)
