Noise management and mitigation can be essential steps for reducing the risk of your employees suffering hearing loss or damage. Unfortunately, hearing conservation can be a widely misunderstood topic, which can lead to business leaders failing to implement effective strategies. Here are some common myths regarding hearing conservation.
Myth: Providing Earplugs Is Sufficient For Protecting Employees From Damaging Noises
Wearing earplugs can be an important strategy for reducing the risk of hearing loss or damage occurring due to exposure to loud noises for prolonged periods of time. However, this is far from the only protective equipment and building features that may be needed. For example, some equipment may benefit from being encased in noise suppressing materials that can reduce the amount of noise that it generates. Even the acoustic design of the room where loud equipment is located can play a role as it can be possible to create an interior design that absorbs sound rather than deflecting or even amplifying it.
Myth: There Are No Benefits To Hiring Professional Hearing Conservation Consultants
A professional hearing conservation consultant will be able to evaluate your business to determine the threat of hearing loss that your workers will face. This assessment will involve taking noise level measurements from throughout the building. Once this information has been gathered, these professionals can begin to implement a strategy for reducing these sounds so that your workers can work their shifts without exposing themselves to a risk of hearing damage. Effectively completing this work will require a person to be extremely knowledgeable about acoustic design as well as the noise level thresholds that can cause hearing loss. Working with a CAOHC certified professional can help ensure that your business is receiving effective guidance.
Myth: A Business Will Not Need To Update Its Hearing Conservation And Noise Reduction Strategies
Over the course of time, your business's equipment needs and the noise being generated will change and evolve. This can lead to your company needing to have its hearing conservation and noise mitigation strategies updated. Otherwise, the previous steps could be overwhelmed by the noise being produced, which could increase the risk to your workers. Installing sensors that can measure the loudness of your workspace will help you with recognizing when the noise level has increased enough to require additional mitigation measures.
Protecting your workers against hearing damage can be an important obligation if your business's interior is extremely loud. Adopting a holistic approach to noise management and hearing conservation, hiring a professional hearing conservation consultant to assist you with these upgrades, and regularly updating your company's strategy can keep your workers safe and productive.
For more information contact a company like Workplace Sound Solutions LLC.