When we talk about hearing protection, we are considering the entirety of all the measures necessary to keep our hearing faculty safe.
However, there has been some false claims about hearing protection which is why this post “Which of the Following Statements About Hearing Protection are True?” is necessary to debunk these false claims.
Lets get a brief example:
Which of the Following Statements About Hearing Protection are True?
- Hearing protection cannot protect you if not use properly
- You must carry out risk assessment to know the best hearing protection needed in every situation.
- Hearing protection is a Personal Protective Equipment
- Earplugs and earmuffs are the most common types of hearing protection devices
- Long exposure to high levels of noise can damage your hearing
- OSHA requires employers to provide you with hearing protection when you are exposed to loud noises for an extended period of time
- Not all hearing protection are one time use, some can be repeated or reuse.
The answer – ALL THE STATEMENTS ABOUT HEARING PROTECTION ARE TRUE.
What are the OSHA Standards for Hearing Protection?
Here are OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standard for hearing protection;
- Employers shall make hearing protectors available to all employees exposed to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels or greater at no cost to the employees. Hearing protectors shall be replaced as necessary.
- Employers shall ensure that hearing protectors are worn by;
- The employer shall provide training in the use and care of all hearing protectors provided to employees.
- The employer shall ensure proper initial fitting and supervise the correct use of all hearing protectors.
- Employer shall evaluate hearing protector attenuation for the specific noise environments in which the protector will be used.
- Hearing protectors must attenuate employee exposure at least to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 90 decibels.
- For employees who have experienced a standard threshold shift, hearing protectors must attenuate employee exposure to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels or below.
- The adequacy of hearing protector attenuation shall be re-evaluated whenever employee noise exposures increase to the extent that the hearing protectors provided may no longer provide adequate attenuation. The employer shall provide more effective hearing protectors where necessary.
- The employer shall train each employee who is exposed to noise at or above an 8-hour time weighted average of 85 decibels in accordance with the requirements of this section. The employer shall institute a training program and ensure employee participation in the program.
- The training program shall be repeated annually for each employee included in the hearing conservation program. Information provided in the training program shall be updated to be consistent with changes in protective equipment and work processes.
- The employer shall ensure that each employee is informed of the following:
Which of the Following is a Function of Hearing Protection?
Functions of Hearing Protection
- Protects the ear from damage
- Enhance co-ordination
- Protect your workforce
- Limit time lost through ear injury
- Reduce workers turn-over; employee with a damage hearing capacity cannot work in some areas within the organization.
- Enhance compliance to organizations best practices.
- Satisfies staff, customers and other stakeholders.
3 Types of Hearing Protection
There are majorly 3 types of hearing protection available, there are;
Earplugs
Semi-insert Earplugs
This consist of two earplugs held over the ends of the ear canal by a rigid headband. They consist of soft tips that are held in place by a light-weight band. They can be removed and replaced quickly and easily. They are not generally recommended because they tend not to provide adequate protection.
Earmuffs
The earmuff consist of sound-attenuating material and soft ear cushions that fit around the ear and hard outer cups. They are held together by a headband. One of its limitation is that it is less portable, heavier and may interfere with the wearing of safety or prescription glasses.
Conclusion
When you come across a question like this – Which of the Following Statements About Hearing Protection are True?
Know that what you need to answer is everything that hearing protection can do or cannot do; as far as its peculiar to hearing protection, you are good to go.
The answers stated above are not exhaustive, you can add up some points from the OSHA hearing protection standards as they are equally applicable to hearing protection.
I believe the post is well explanatory, but if you have any query, please hit the comment box.
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