The UMass Amherst Hearing Conservation Program has been established to meet the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards and ensures compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR Part 1910.95. The primary objective is to provide for the protection of university employees from long term hearing loss associated with noise levels in the workplace. Almost all work-related hearing loss is permanent, and it can have a profound impact on quality of life. Noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable.
All members of the University community who are regularly exposed to occupational noise levels at or exceeding an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA must enroll in the Hearing Conservation Program.
For more information, please visit the Hearing Conservation Program Resource Library.
Hearing Conservation Program Process
1. Workplace Evaluation for Noise Exposure The first step is to conduct a workplace noise exposure assessment to determine whether the noise level exceeds, or is likely to exceed, the noise exposure limit.
2. Hearing Conservation Training is provided through SciShield. All employees enrolled in Hearing Conservation Program must complete this training every year.
3. Hearing Protection Device Selection EHS will work with you to find the right hearing protection devices, based on employee comfort, level of noise exposure, Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of device, type of work being performed, and environmental conditions. Multiple devices may be required based on the noise level.
- In general, disposable earplugs typically receive a NRR rating in the low to mid 20s. Disposable earplugs include wax plugs, foam plugs and most unspecialized, general plugs. The highest NRR-rated earplugs and earmuffs support reuse. The NRR describes the average sound level reduction (attenuation) provided by a hearing protection device in a laboratory test. Since the NRR is based on laboratory testing, it does not take into account the loss of protection that occurs when hearing protectors are not fit properly or when they are not worn for the entire time that the wearer is exposed to noise. The NRR rating is usually displayed on the package of the hearing protection devices.
- For most wearers, the NRR significantly overestimates the protection of the hearing protector in the workplace. OSHA 1910.95 Appendix B requires hearing protector attenuation and OSHA strongly recommends applying a 50% correction factor when estimating field attenuation. The general calculation for NRR derating is:
- Subtract 7 dB from the NRR if noise is measured on the A-weighted decibel scale (dBA). (You may skip this step if noise is measured on the C-weighted dB scale)
- Divide the result of step 1 (NRR-7) by 2.
4. Audiometric Testing Audiometric testing can identify occupational hearing loss and identify Standard Threshold Shifts (STS). The baseline audiogram is the reference audiogram against which future audiograms are compared. Annual audiograms are required each year after baseline audiogram.
Please contact your supervisor to schedule a baseline/annual audiometric testing. Audiometric testing is conducted by Center for Language, Speech, and Hearing Services of Department of Communication Disorders.