OSHA urged to act on construction hearing standard

 IN AN EMERGENCY, THE ANSWER YOU NEED CAN BE A CLICK AWAY

Could a new OSHA hearing conservation standard be on the way for construction workers?  If some folks have their way, the answer is yes.  For 27 years, OSHA's had an occupational noise standard on the books. But that standard has excluded the construction industry.   During an “OSHA Listens" meeting in Washington, DC, on March 4, groups and experts urged the agency to change that now.

Can you hear me now?

One startling piece of research presented at the meeting: recent National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health study estimates that a 25-year old construction worker has the same hearing as a 50-year old worker.
While OSHA has listed hearing conservation for construction workers as agenda item for years, many say it's been a "back burner" item.
In the meantime, many companies have followed a voluntary American National Standards Institute and American Society of Safety Engineers standard to protect worker.
Under that plan, construction workers must wear hearing PPE when exposed to potential noise exposures of "85 decibels, A-weighted (dBA), and above."
We'll keep you posted.

Info: snipurl.col11/oshalistens

Reprinted with permission from
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