Hearing Conservation Program | Occupational Noise Exposure

Administration

This written hearing conservation plan serves as a record of the details of the hearing conservation program in place at this company. We have this program in place to protect the hearing of all employees in the company. Elements of our hearing conservation program include:

• Monitoring,
• Audiometric testing program,
• Hearing protection,
• Training and information, and
• Recordkeeping.

______ has overall responsibility for coordinating safety and health programs in this company. ______ is the person having overall responsibility for the Hearing Conservation Program. ______ will review and update the program, as necessary.

Copies of the written program may be obtained from ______.

Monitoring

The monitoring program is in place to provide an ongoing means of determining employee exposure to noise and protect employees based on excessive exposure. When monitoring information indicates that any em-ployee’s exposure equals or exceeds an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels, the employee is included in the hearing conservation program.

To determine employee exposure to noise, we use the following type of calibrated equipment: ______. The company notifies all employees exposed at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels of the results of the monitoring by the following method. ____________________________________.

The company provides an opportunity in the following way for affected employees or their representatives to observe any noise measurements conducted: __________________________________________.

Appropriate hearing devices are selected for employees in the Hearing Conservation Program by the following method: ___________________________________________________________________.

Monitoring is repeated whenever a change in production, process, equipment, or controls increases noise exposures to the extent that either additional employees may be exposed at or above the action level or the attenuation provided by hearing protectors being used by employees may be rendered inadequate to meet the requirements of noise reduction.

The audiometric testing program is in place and available at no cost to all affected employees to ensure that noise exposures are kept at proper levels.

Audiometric testing

The program ensures that a valid baseline audiogram is established for exposed employees within six months of their first exposure (or within one year if mobile vans are used, with employees wearing hearing protection for any period exceeding six months) by the following method: ______________________________.

Audiometric testing is repeated __________________________________________________.

The company determines if a standard threshold shift (STS) has occurred by ________________________.

If subsequent audiometric testing of an employee whose exposure to noise is less than an 8-hour TWA of 90 decibels indicates that a standard threshold shift is not persistent, the company informs the employee of the new audiometric interpretation by ______________________________________________________ and discontinues the required use of hearing protectors for that employee.

Hearing protection

The company makes hearing protectors available to all employees exposed to an 8-hour TWA of 85 decibels or greater at no cost to the employees, according to the following procedures: ________________________.

The company ensures the use of available hearing protection by all affected employees by: ____________.

The company ensures that employees have a variety of suitable protectors that attenuate (lower) employee exposure at least to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 90 decibels, or 85 decibels or lower for employees who have experienced a standard threshold shift in their hearing, according to the following method: ______.

Appropriate hearing protectors available for employees to choose from include: __________________.

The company ensures evaluation for adequacy of the hearing protection attenuation for the specific noise environments in which the protector will be used, according to specifications given in an appendix to the standard, by: ____________________________________.

The company reevaluates attenuation whenever employee noise exposures increase to the extent that current hearing protectors no longer provide adequate attenuation, and then provides more effective hearing protection, according to the following method: __________________________________________.

Training and information

______ has a hearing protection training program for all employees exposed to noise at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels.

We ensure employee participation in the hearing protection training program by: __________________.

Copies of the Occupational Noise Exposure standard are available to affected employees or their representatives.We also post copies of the standard in the following location(s): __________________ ______________________________________________________________________.

Refresher training is provided ______. We ensure that the training material is updated to be consistent with changes in the protective equipment and work processes by: ______________________________________.

According to the following method: _______________________________________________, we ensure that each affected employee is informed of at least the following information:

• The effects of noise on hearing;
• The purpose of hearing protectors, the advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation of various types, and instructions on selection, fitting, use, and care; and
• The purpose of audiometric testing, and an explanation of test procedures.

We also make informational materials pertaining to the Occupational Noise Exposure standard that are supplied by OSHA available to affected employees or their representatives by: __________________.

Recordkeeping

Recordkeeping is an essential element of our Hearing Conservation Program. It is the means by which hearing levels are tracked and assessed over a period of years. ______ has in place measures to maintain comprehensive and up-to-date records.

______ maintains accurate records of:

• Employee exposure measurements by: ______________________________.
• Employee audiometric test records by: ______________________________.

The company retains noise exposure measurement records and audiometric test records as required by OSHA. These records are made available to employees, former employees, representatives designated by the individual employee, and OSHA upon request, according to the following method: _________.