• Employers must determine the level of noise their employees are exposed to in the workplace in order to determine which control methods are needed to protect worker safety.

The first step toward solving any noise problem is to define it. To understand what requirements must be implemented according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s noise standard, it is necessary to determine exposure levels.

When evaluating which employees are potentially covered by OSHA’s standard, keep in mind that the rule applies to employees with even one day of exposure to noise levels at or above 85 decibels on an eight-hour time weighted average (TWA). Such employees must therefore be included in the company’s hearing conservation program. For example, if an employee visits a particular facility only a few times per year, but is exposed to noise levels at or above 85 decibels on a TWA, that employee would be covered by the standard.

Employees who have not been exposed to noise levels equal to or exceeding 85 decibels (as an eight-hour TWA) for an entire year following their last annual audiogram may be removed from the hearing conservation program.