Hearing Conservation Program

HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM

1.0	POLICY
2.0	PURPOSE / SCOPE
3.0	ADMINISTERING AGENCY
4.0	REFERENCES
5.0	DEFINITIONS
6.0	RESPONSIBILITIES
7.0	EXCESSIVE OCCUPATIONAL NOISE AREAS ON CAMPUS
8.0	CONTROLLING / REDUCING OCCUPATIONAL NOISE EXPOSURES
9.0	MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
10.0	TRAINING
11.0	RECORDKEEPING
http://www-admn.csun.edu/ehsr/ems/index.htm APPENDIX:
CONTROL OF NOISE EXPOSURE:(California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Article 105, Section 5095 to 5100)


1.0	Policy:
	It is the policy of California State University, Northridge to establish and maintain an effective noise control and hearing conservation program in order to prevent hearing impairment as a result of work-related noise exposure.

2.0

Purpose / Scope:

2.1	PURPOSE:
	To establish a coordinated approach toward controlling excessive occupational noise exposure on campus.
2.2	SCOPE:
	The requirements of this documents apply to all employees exposed to an 8-hour time-weighted average noise level of 85 dBA or greater.


3.0	Administering Agency:
	State of California, Division of Occupational Safety & Health (Cal-OSHA)

4.0

References:

4.1	California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Article 105, Section 5095 to 5100.
4.2	Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29 Part 1910.95.

5.0

Definitions:

1.	ACTION LEVEL:
	Any 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels measured on the A- scale, slow response, or equivalently, a dose of fifty percent.
2.	AUDIOGRAM:
	A chart, graph, or table resulting from an audiometric test showing an individual's hearing threshold levels as a function of frequency.
3.	BASELINE AUDIOGRAM:
	The audiogram against which future audiograms are compared.
4.	DECIBEL: (dB):
	Unit of measurement of sound level.
5.	DECIBEL-A-WEIGHTED (dBA):
	A unit of measurement of sound level corrected to the A- weighted scale, as defined in ANSI S 1.4-1971 (R1976), using a reference level of 20 micropascals.

6.0

Responsibilities:

6.1

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, SAFETY & RISK MANAGEMENT:

a.	Establish and update the written Hearing Conservation Program.
b.	Identify employees to be included in the Hearing Conservation Program.
c.	Provide consultation/training to departments according to their specific needs.
d.	Conduct noise surveys in response to department requests or as a general noise survey.
e.	Assist department in developing methods for noise abatement, reduction, or control.
f.	Recommend personal protective devices for applicable departments.
g.	Maintain and make available records of exposure measurements and audiometric test.
h.	Maintain training records.

6.2

SUPERVISORS:

a.	Ensure that noise control is considered when procuring equipment, machinery, and tools.
b.	Identify work areas that may over expose employees to harmful levels of noise and notify the EH&S office.
c.	Develop methods for noise abatement, reduction, or control.
d.	Ensure employees covered by the Hearing Conservation Program attend annual Hearing Conservation training and comply with all appropriate procedures.
e.	Department supervisors should ensure that employees are not exposed to excess occupational noise 14 hours prior to their audiogram.
f.	Ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment is provided to affected employees; enforce the use of such devices when required; ensure that devices are kept in good condition and maintained in a sanitary manner.

6.3

EMPLOYEES:

a.	Employees are ultimately responsible for the wearing of hearing protection whenever working in noisy environments.
b.	Read and comply with all appropriate hearing conservation safety procedures while performing assigned duties.
c.	Identify areas which have excessive occupational noise and notify their supervisors.


7.0	Excessive Occupational Noise Areas on Campus:
	EH&S determines which types of areas are defined as excessive occupational noise areas on campus.

8.0

Controlling/Reducing Occupational Noise Exposures:

There are three types of control measures that may be used to limit noise exposures. In preferential order, they are engineering, administrative, and personal protective controls. Engineering controls are generally permanent solutions, whereas administrative controls and personal protective controls require constant monitoring to ensure adequate implementation.

8.1

ENGINEERING CONTROLS:

Noise control through engineering practice is the preferred control method as it is an attempt to remove the hazard. This allows the sound intensity to be reduced either at the source or in the hearing zone of the worker. Examples include:

a.	Replacing worn, loose, or unbalanced parts (e.g. replace mufflers when needed on gasoline engines).
b.	Lubricating machines.
c.	Substituting the machinery or process.
d.	Modifying the path between the noise source and the worker. This includes installing absorption materials, silencers, barriers and acoustical enclosures around noise sources.

8.2

ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS:

Administrative controls limit the length of time workers are exposed to noise in the work area. Examples include:

a.	Rotate workers to job assignments with lower exposure levels throughout their 8-hour work day.
b.	Schedule machine operating times during hours with less workers exposed.
c.	Rotate worker's shifts.

8.3

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT:

When engineering and/or administrative controls either fail to reduce noise to within required limits, or are not feasible, hearing protective devices must be used.

a.	When either earmuffs or ear plugs are used, the department should have a sufficient variety to ensure that workers can get a good fit.
b.	Protective devices should be both effective and comfortable.
c.	All workers must be trained before being issued hearing protection. Workers must wear hearing protectors when:
	1.	They are exposed to a sound level of 85 dBA or greater and have had a significant threshold shift in hearing.
	2.	They are exposed to noise in excess of the limits set in Cal-OSHA Title 8, Section 5096 (Appendix A).

9.0

Medical Surveillance:

9.1

AUDIOMETRIC TESTS:

Audiometric testing is the method used for determining an individual's hearing threshold level and measuring if an individual has experienced hearing loss. Audiometric tests are performed by audiologists or technicians who are certified by the Council of Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation. The results of the tests are called audiograms.

a.	All employees included in the Hearing Conservation Program shall have an audiogram within 6 months of their first exposure.
b.	Annual audiograms must be routinely compared to baseline audiograms to determine if a standard threshold shift exists.
c.	Employees with standard threshold shifts must be fitted or refitted with adequate hearing protection devices.

10.0

Training:

All employees exposed at or above the Action Level must participate in the Hearing Conservation Program. Participants shall receive annual training in the requirements of this program. Training shall include the following elements:

a.	The effects of noise on hearing.
b.	The purpose, advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation characteristics of various types of hearing protection.
c.	Instruction on the selection, fitting, use, and care of hearing protectors.
d.	The purpose of audiometric testing and test procedures.

11.0

Record Keeping:

11.1

RECORDS:

a.	Noise exposure documentation shall be maintained by EH&S for a minimum of 2 years.
b.	Training records shall be maintained by EH&S for a minimum of 3 years.
c.	Audiometric tests shall be maintained by EH&S for the duration of employee's employment.

11.2

ACCESS TO RECORDS:

All records shall be provided upon request to employees, former employees, and representatives of employees.

Revised 11/2001