There are a lot of places you encounter dangerous noise levels, from a booming concert at the Big Sky Amphitheater to your very own workplace. While you need to take hearing protection into your own hands at concerts, ideally in the form of earplugs, your workplace is responsible for protecting your hearing from noise exposure within the confines of your job.
Let’s look at the levels of noise exposure, when your employer is required to provide hearing protection and what to do if you aren’t receiving the protection you need.
Noise Levels
Any noise at or above 85 A-weighted decibels (dBA) can cause hearing loss. The louder the volume, the less time it takes to cause damage. Here are a few decibel examples:
- A normal conversation: 60 to 70 dBA
- Motorcycles: 80 to 110 dBA
- Concerts, sporting events and the maximum volume music through headphones: 94 to 110 dBA
- Emergency sirens: 110 to 129 dBA
In addition to comparing these sound levels to your environment, you can take precise measurements with a decibel-measuring app on your phone.
OSHA-Mandated Hearing Protection
Your workplace must implement hearing protection requirements if noise exposure equals or exceeds 85 dBA as an 8-hour time-weighted average. These requirements are mandated by OSHA to prevent hearing loss and tinnitus. Your workplace should not only have earplugs or earmuffs available but also provide instruction on when and where its employees need to use hearing protection.
A few common jobs that reach the noise threshold for hearing loss include:
- Construction crew
- Factory workers
- Farmers and farm staff
- Workers at concert venues
You can measure the sound of your environment and watch for signs of hearing damage. If you hear ringing in your ears or your hearing is muffled after you leave, your workplace is too loud, and your employer needs to provide protection.
You can find more information on OSHA’s hearing protection regulation here or general workers’ rights information here.
What To Do if Your Workplace Doesn’t Offer Hearing Protection
If you notice signs of hearing damage, or your environment reaches a volume at or above the 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA, talk to your HR department or supervisor about hearing protection. It’s possible they weren’t aware the noise levels were so high and only needed to be notified. Make sure both you and the employer document that you brought noise levels to their attention.
If your workplace fails to provide hearing protection, you can register a complaint with OSHA. The complaint will likely trigger an on-site inspection.
Schedule a Hearing Test
Catching and treating hearing loss early is the best way to limit its effect on your life. In addition to wearing or requesting hearing protection at work, you should schedule regular hearing tests.
Contact Western Montana Hearing and Speech to schedule a hearing test with one of our specialists.