Reducing the Roar
The risk of excessive noise isn’t going away. What are the dangers associated with the unseen hazard and why must employers implement a suitable monitoring program for noisy workplaces?
The world around us is constantly getting louder, posing increasing risk to our hearing and physical health. Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition among adults but it is entirely preventable with appropriate engineering controls and monitoring programs.
Employees are no longer at risk of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) just in the workplace but also from the environmental noise exposure experienced outside of work. The onus on employers to protect hearing loss at work is more prevalent now than ever before with an estimated 22 million workers in the United States exposed to hazardous noise levels at work.
Exposure to excessive noise levels can lead to more than hearing loss, with research indicating that the likelihood of physical issues such as increased cardiovascular stress, elevated chance of a stroke and developing diabetes. All workers and workplaces are different and require different noise-related solutions, but all noisy workplaces stand to benefit from a rigorous noise monitoring program.
Legislation and Standards for Noise Control
The US controls noise in the workplace at a federal level through legislation delivered by health and safety bodies like the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MHSA). Further local legislation may also apply to noise control by governments or smaller divisions of these health and safety bodies, meaning employers should actively check the local legislation of any territories the business operates in.
The two main overarching legislation are OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.95 for general industry and 29 CFR 1926.52 specific to the construction industry. These regulations set Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs), ceiling levels of noise at which employers must action monitoring and protection, and require employers to implement hearing conservation programs when noise levels exceed safe thresholds.
The key PEL that employers must be aware of is 85 dBA TWA. Simply put, when noise levels reach 85 decibels (dB) over an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA), employers must conduct noise monitoring and issue hearing protection if necessary.
This article originally appeared in the April/May 2025 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
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