Answer: No. Employers must take steps to protect the hearing of workers exposed to noise levels of 85 decibels (dB) or more, averaged over eight hours. Most industrial washers and dryers are less than 80 dB, although multiple machines could increase the noise levels. Measuring noise levels may be a good idea, but if workers won’t be around the machines for 8 hours per day, the total noise exposure is greatly reduced.

If the noise exposure levels are less than 85 dB over eight hours, the employer does not need to create a hearing conservation program or provide hearing protection.

Even so, you may want to take steps to reduce exposure to loud noises to keep your workers protected. Examples include installing sound baffles, or rotating workers through noisy areas to further reduce the exposure time.