February 11, 2005—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently added a new electronic assistance tool on its Web site to highlight the prevention of occupational hearing loss.
The Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool features information on potential health effects of occupational noise, and provides guidance on evaluating noise exposure, while presenting examples of functional hearing conservation programs.
The link also provides references and resources on OSHA’s standards and requirements related to the issue. The eTool is a product of OSHA’s Alliance with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA).
Noise is one of the most common health problems in American workplaces, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which estimates that 30 million workers in the US are exposed to hazardous noise. Exposure to high levels of noise may cause hearing loss, create physical and psychological stress, reduce productivity, interfere with communication, and contribute to accidents and injuries by making it difficult to hear warning signals.
