Training Series (Year 5)

It’s up to you!! Get involved and make your Hearing

Conservation Program a success!!

1.   Why is Hearing Conservation important to me?

First and foremost, a noise induced hearing loss is never reversible. The hearing you have when you were born can never be recreated.

2.   What are the major causes of noise-induced hearing loses?

Even thou2h millions of workers are exposed to work place noise every day, the major causes are still music and gunfire. It is very important that you practice hearing conservation at home as well as at work.

3.   How do I know if I am being exposed to too much noise off the job?

There are two rules of thumb, (1) If the noise level is loud enough for von to have to raise your voice to communicate with another person three feet away or, (2) after leaving a noisy area and your ears seem to ring, or sound muffled, the noise you are being exposed to is too loud!

4.   How does hearing protectors work?

Hearing protectors reduce the intensity of the sound waves entering the ears thereby reducing the ‘~volume”. They don’t keep you from hearing anything - they just reduce the volume to a non-destructive level. The amount of attenuation depends on the style, shape, size, and materials the plug is made of. The (NRR) Noise Reduction Rating is:

The amount of noise that protectors will attenuate when worn properly.

5.   How does the annual hearing test benefit me?

The human ear is built in such a way that noise induced hearin2 losses are hard to detect. First it usually happens slowly so that you just think you are getting used to the noise. Second, over exposure to noise affects the high pitch frequencies first. We hear people talking in the low tones, so the first and best way to detect a noise induced hearing loss is by taking a hearing test. Annual hearing tests provide follow up information to see it von are receiving enough protection both on and off the job.