Construction noise demands hearing protection

Noises at construction sites from jack hammers, dump trucks, cement mixers, electric saws, welding machines, sledgehammers and drills can easily exceed the OSHA limit of 90dBA.

Industrial Hygiene News reports that construction employees frequently don’t wear hearing protection, because the devices are uncomfortable, they don’t have access to them or haven’t been trained to wear them properly.

“Training can help make construction workers aware that many activities on the work site have potentially hazardous noise levels and once they lose their hearing, it does not come back,” says Jeffrey Birkner, VP technical services at Moldex-Metric.

He suggests that employers and employees choose the right hearing protection, ranging from disposable and reusable ear plugs to semi-aural devices (banded products) and ear muffs.

Choosing the right device depends on the construction site. Sites with low frequency noise should use ear muffs. Maintenance of the devices is also important, with dirty sites demanding easy to care for devices, such as ear plugs or hearing bands. Another important factor is how the hearing protection interacts with other PPE, such as hard hats, eye protection and welding hoods. It should not interfere with the other devices.

Safety directors should evaluate the situation to determine the devices that are needed and supply all employees with them.