29 CFR 1910.

95

10/1/99 Created By: C. Miterko 1

Objectives
What is sound?
How the ear works
How to measure noise
What does OSHA says about noise?
Hearing Conservation Program
Reading hearing tests
Hearing Protection

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What is Noise?
Noise is generally Decibels (dB)
defined as unwanted – The loudness of the
sound, we are all sound
exposed to noise every
day at home at work
and in traffic.
Hertz (Hz)
– Frequency a high or
low pitch

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Frequency
Humans can typically hear
between 20 - 20,000 Hz
You can hear different
frequencies better than
others

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Decibels

Sound pressure are measured

in Decibels (dB) which is a
logarithmic measure of sound
pressure levels.
The quietest sound most
humans can detect is 0 dB

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 Common Sounds
0 dB Threshold of Hearing
30 dB Soft Whisper
40 dB Quiet Office
60 dB Conversational Speech
80 dB Very noisy restaurant
90 dB Subway
110 dB Woodworking
120 dB Hydraulic press
140 dB Threshold of Pain – Jet plane
180 dB Rocket

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Anatomy of the Ear
Semi-Circular Canals
Ear Drum
Cochlea

Ear Bones

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How do we Hear?
The outer ear collects the soundwaves
The waves hit the eardrum, and cause it to
vibrate
The vibrations are sent through the ear bones
to the cochlea

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Inside the Cochlea (snail shell)
Delicate hair cells vibrate to different
frequencies

Hair cells detect the vibration, and send a

signal to the brain

Loud sounds destroy the hair cells, and

they stop functioning FOREVER!

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The Ear does something else too!
The Semi-circular canals
– Three tubes laying perpendicular
to one another
– Filled with fluid and tiny hair cells
– Depending on which way your
head is tilted, the fluid moves the
hair cells, and they send a signal
to your brain
Responsible for balance

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How to measure noise
Decibels are measured on a
logarithmic scale

Every time you add 6 dB,

you double the sound
pressure of the noise

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Example
In the field, we determined the loudness of
two compressors right next to each other

89 dB 87 dB

How loud is this area?

– Do we add?
– Do we add and take the average?

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 Neither, because it is a log scale
We use the following chart
Difference in Add to Higher
dB values Value
0 or 1 dB 3 dB
2 or 3 dB 2 dB
4 or 10 dB 1 dB
10 or more dB 0 dB

82 dB + 83 dB = 86 dB
87 dB + 89 dB = 91 dB

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How does the Safety Person
determine noise levels
Sound level meter Personal Dosimeters
– Determine the – Worn by employees
loudness (dB) of
– Measures the average
noise at any given
loudness in an 8 hour
moment
work shift
“8hr. TWA” (Time
Weighted Average)

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What does OSHA say?
At 85 dB (8hr. TWA) (Action
level)
– Train employees
– Make hearing protection
available
– Sample for noise levels
– Do hearing tests
– Notify employees of results

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What does OSHA say?
At 90 dB or more
(100% Dose)
– We must keep levels at or
below 90 dB
– Or require hearing protection
that will lower noise levels to
to 90 dB

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What are Our Noise Levels?
Duration Per Day, Hours Sound Level dBA

8 90
6 92
4 95
3 97
2 100

1½ 102

1 105

107
¾
110
½
¼ 115
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 Hearing Conservation Program
Monitoring:
Employers should monitor noise exposure
levels to identify employees who are
exposed to noise levels at or above 85
dBA averaged over 8 working hours, or
an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).
Noise level meters & Noise Dosemeter are
used after being calibrated.

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When the daily noise exposure has two or more
noise exposures at different levels, their
combined values should be considered. (Use the
following formula)
F(e) = (T(1) divided by L(1) + (T(2) divided by
L(2)) + ……… (T(n) divided by L(n))
F(e)= The equivalent noise exposure factor
T= The period of noise exposure at any essentially
constant level.
L= The duration of the permissible noise
exposure at the constant level.
If the value of F(e) exceeds unity (the value 1), the
exposure exceeds PEL.

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Example: Duration Per Sound Level
Day, Hours dBA
110 dbA 0.25 hours
8 90
100 dbA 0.5 hours
6 92
90 dbA 1.5 Hours
4 95
F(e) = (0.25/0.5) +
3 97
(0.5/2)+(1.5/8)
2 100
F(e)=0.5+0.25+0.1888
F(e) = 0.938 1½ 102

Since F(e) does not exceed 1 105

unity (1), the exposure 107
limit is within
¾
110
permissible limits ½
¼ 115

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 Audiometric Testing
• Should the noise level monitoring determine
that employees are being subjected to levels
equaling or exceeding a TWA of 85 dBA, the
next step is to establish an audiometric testing
program for those exposed at no cost to the
employee.
• The important elements of an audiometric
program include: Baseline audiograms, Annual
audiograms, Control measures, Training, and
follow-up procedures.

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 Baseline Audiograms
•It is the reference audiogram
against which future audiograms
are compared.
•Must be provided within 6
months of an employee’s first
exposure at or above 8-hour TWA
of 85 dBA. (Control measures
should be taken)
•Baseline Audiogram must be
preceded by 14 hours without
exposure to workplace noise.

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 Annual Audiograms
• After baseline audiogram has been taken,
each employee exposed to noise levels at
the 85 dBA or above shall have annual
examination.
• Annual audiogram must be conducted
within 1 year of the baseline.
• Compared with baseline audiograms
results.

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Continued
• To determine whether an employee has
experienced any recordable hearing loss.
• The hearing loss is reffered to in the
OSHA standard as :Standard Threshold
Shift (STS).
• OSHA defines STS as “a change in
hearing threshold relative to the baseline
audiogram of an average of 10 dB or
more at 2000, 3000, and 4000, Hz in
either ear.
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Audiogram
200 1000 2000 3000 4000 6000
Hz Hz Hz Hz Hz Hz
Baseline 5 dB 5 dB 0 dB 5 dB 10 dB 10 dB
Annual 5 dB 5 dB 10 dB 20 dB 35 dB 15 dB
Difference 0 0 10 15 25 5

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 Control
• The standard states that if the 90 dB PEL
is being exceeded, “feasible
administrative or engineering controls
shall be utilized.
• If fails, PPE shall be provided and used
to reduce sound levels.

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 Administrative Controls

* Are defined as, “Methods of controlling

employee exposures by job rotation, work
assignment, or time periods away from
the hazards.

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 Engineering Control
• Are defined as “ Methods of controlling
employee exposures by modifying the
source or reducing the quantity of
contaminants released into the workroom
environment.
• Example: installing noise – absorbing
acoustical foam or baffles to capture and
deaden reverberating noise.

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 Hearing Protectors
• Hearing protectors shall be made
available and shall be worn by all
employees exposed to an 8-hour TWA of
85 dBA or greaters.
• Types of hearing protectors:
• Ear muffs
• Ear plugs
• Ear canal

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Hearing Protection
NRR - Noise reduction rating
– Express - 25 NRR
– Classic - 29 NRR
– Max Lite - 30 NRR
DO NOT Subtract the NRR from the
noise level
– WRONG (109 dB - 25 NRR = 84 dB)
You must use the “Safety Factor”

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 Safety Factor
OSHA says the hearing protection is
designed to reduce the noise by the
NRR, but that is unlikely to happen
due to :
– Leaks in the seal
– Vibration
– Improper insertion

(NRR - 7) / 2

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 Example of NRR Protection

The noise at a large compressor is

109 dB
You are wearing the Express plugs with
an NRR of 25

Do you have enough protection to place

you below 90 dB level?

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 Hearing Protectors

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 Ear Plugs

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 Ear muffs

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 Training - Recordkeeping
• Employees training is very important. All
employees exposed to noise at a TWA of
85 dBA or greater shall participate in a
hearing conservation training program.
• An accurate records shall maintained of
all employee exposure measurements.

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A Final Note
Hearing is important

In time, noise levels at 85 dB can

permanently damage your hearing

Wear your hearing protection both at

work and at home

Choose hearing protection with a high

NRR, and wear it properly

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