When must we provide hearing protection?

Employers must provide hearing protectors to all workers exposed to 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) noise levels of 85 dB or above. This requirement ensures that employees have access to protectors before they experience any hearing loss. Employees must wear hearing protectors:

• For any period exceeding 6 months from the time they are first exposed to 8-hour TWA noise levels of 85 dB or above, until they receive their baseline audiograms if these tests are delayed due to mobile test van scheduling;
• If they have incurred standard threshold shifts (STS) that demonstrate they are susceptible to noise; and
• If they are exposed to noise over the permissible exposure limit of 90 dB over an 8-hour TWA.

Hearing protectors must adequately reduce the noise level for each employee’s work environment. You must reevaluate the suitability of the employee’s hearing protector whenever a change in working conditions may make it inadequate. If workplace noise levels increase, you must give employees more effective protectors. The protector must reduce employee exposures to at least 90 dB and to 85 dB when an STS already has occurred in the worker’s hearing.

You must also show employees how to use and care for their protectors and supervise them on the job to ensure that they continue to wear them correctly.