Learn how noise can negatively affect workers and how to mitigate this hazard, then elevate your organization’s culture of safety by including noise awareness in the company’s training programs.
Noise awareness training is a workplace training program designed to inform employees about the impact of noise on their productivity, health, and well-being. By incorporating this into the safety program, workers can become more conscious of their environment and take measures to mitigate the effects of occupational hazards. This type of training is a must-have in industries where noise exposure is a concern, such as mining, manufacturing, construction, and aviation.
The world is filled with noise. While this is an omnipresent fact of life, it hurts one’s health, particularly when a person is inundated with it day in and day out. Too much of this hazard may cause the following:
Permanent hearing loss
Tinnitus
Sleep disorders
Loss of productivity
Possible workplace accidents
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes hazardous noise as intense, high-pitched, and intermittent. Based on that information, the US National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) established the recommended occupational noise exposure limit (REL) of 85 decibels during an eight-hour shift. The agency has also suggested a hierarchy of controls to prevent or reduce exposure to noise in the workplace. One of these preventive controls is noise at work training.
Practically all workers across industries are at risk of occupational noise exposure. Blasting in mining can go as high as 160dB, pneumatic tools like jackhammers reach 130dB, and even vacuum cleaners fall between 75 and 85 dB. All could cause grave health conditions, especially when people are subject to it daily.
A well-designed and planned noise awareness training campaign equips individuals with the knowledge and tools to manage and mitigate the impact of noise. Aside from safeguarding physical health, it also enhances concentration and focus, which is vital in the workplace and an advantage to the company’s overall productivity.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that companies train workers exposed to noise based on NIOSH’s REL. The regulatory office also lists down topics that training managers should delve into. Here are some of those:
Workers should know how prevalent noise-induced hearing loss can be. Companies should be able to point out these hazards, particularly the source (e.g., practices and equipment). They should inform employees about the potential severity of this condition, as well as the specific short and long-term effects workers may face, and how occupational noise can affect their work and family life.
Another topic that must be included in the noise training session is how hearing works. Knowing the anatomy and physiology of the ear helps workers understand how noise can be hazardous and, more importantly, how to protect themselves from noise-induced hearing loss.
Workers should know how to measure noise levels and interpret the results. The most basic equipment is a sound level meter, which typically consists of a microphone and a screen showing the ambient sound in decibels. More high-tech gadgets include dosimeters and octave band analyzers.
Aside from this, the trainers should create a noise map and discuss it with the employees. This graphic representation of the problem area defines the zones or problems where workers need to wear protectors.
The next topic should outline the regulations that safeguard workers from excessive noise. It should specify the obligations of the company (e.g., conducting training, establishing controls, provision of PPEs, and providing hearing tests) and the crucial duties of the employees (e.g., attending training, following controls, and daily safety equipment checks) to eliminate, reduce, and mitigate the risk.
While this can be included in the specific responsibilities section of the program, this deserves to be a stand-alone subject because it details the various ways to control noise in the workplace. Common control measures different workplaces implement to protect workers from harsh noise levels include the following:
Reducing noise at the source
Managing engineering controls, such as building acoustic barriers around noisy equipment
Implementing administrative controls, such asreducing the number of hours workers spend near the noisy equipment.
Promoting the use of hearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and specifically focusing on their attenuation, fitting, proper use, and care
Aside from including the topics detailed above, the following should also be done to ensure that the program is a success, subsequently protecting the workforce from the consequences of hazardous noise:
Conduct a thorough assessment of the noise levels in the workplace by identifying the sources and understanding their impact on the workers.
Tailor the training content for specific roles and their sites by choosing the most suitable format and delivery (e.g., interactive workshops, e-learning modules, and on-site demonstrations) fit to their needs.
Engage workers by conducting regular updates through daily toolbox meetings and reinforcement by conducting audiometric tests.
Measure the impact of the campaign through post-training assessments and feedback.
Leverage technology and noise monitoring sensors for all noise awareness training and hazard management workflows.
When I started at Coffey Testing we had 13 lost time injuries (LTIs) in that year, and for the last 4 years we haven’t had a single LTI because of our improved incident reporting, communication and management, which is great.
Companies can successfully integrate noise awareness into every process of their operations with the help of the Mitti Training feature. Create courses and lessons from scratch, send assignments and feedback forms to employees to check knowledge retention, and schedule group seminars effectively through this highly-rated mobile-first platform. Take a look at how Bri-Stor Systems improved its overall culture of safety with the help of this software solution.
Noise awareness is not merely the acknowledgment of the existence of noise. It should entail a conscious understanding of the sound, its source, potential effects, and mitigation methods. More importantly, noise awareness should be embedded in the company’s safety culture. By including the concept in training programs, the organization shows commitment to productivity and dedication to their employees’ welfare.
Let Mitti (by SafetyCulture) help you equip workers with the know-how to reduce this hazard and safeguard themselves from its consequences. With this digital platform, you can do the following:
Make data-driven decisions to improve the noise levels in the workplace by utilizing the built-in analytics feature for identifying the noise hazard, assessing its risk levels, measuring the company’s compliance with regulations, and evaluating employees’ retention of the training conducted.
Promote consistency in training by creating courses and lessons using digital templates from scratch, digitizing existing paper-based ones, or using the pre-built ones available from the content library.
Customize the training workflows, ensuring these cater to the organization’s unique needs.
Schedule group training sessions if this is the best mode to deliver information, or send bite-sized modules to workers that they can review at their convenience.
Ensure that workers are appropriately trained and certified and that the company complies with regulations by generating related reports and saving all these in a centralized repository.
Enhance collaboration between training managers and employees from different departments by disseminating vital information via Heads Up.
Streamline the overall noise management processes by seamlessly integrating various systems utilized for noise awareness training.
