OSHA Requirements for Hearing Conservation Programs
Complying with OSHA’S Hearing Conservation Amendment CFR 1910.95
Frequently Asked Questions about OSHA
This PDF document answers some of the most common questions about the
Occupational Safety and Health Administrations requirements for implementing
a Hearing Conservation Program. Download the PDF
or Visit OSHA.gov for complete details.
Assess Risk of Exposure
ASSESS RISK OF EXPOSURE - Noise exposure monitoring, or noise
measurement, is required to determine which workers are at risk for exposure
to noise. It is important that monitoring take into account anything the
worker may do during the workday that could contribute to his/her overall
noise level. OSHA bases all further hearing conservation decisions on the
results of monitoring, including the requirements to have a hearing
conservation program (HCP).
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Do I need a Hearing Conservation Program?
If you have asked yourself this question, the answer is probably yes! There are
a couple ways you can test for yourself whether a hearing conservation program
(HCP) is required in your facility.
- Do workers in your facility have to raise their voice to be heard by a listener
about 3 feet away?
- Do workers in your facility ever report ringing in their ears after they leave
work?
- Does the radio in your car seem quieter when you leave work - like someone
turned it down during the day? Or conversely, does your radio seem too loud
when you get in the car in the morning?
These are all indications of exposure to sound levels about 85 dBA, the level
at which OSHA requires an “effective, on-going hearing conservation program.”
Workers must be enrolled in a
Hearing Conservation Program (HCP),
at no cost to them, when:
- their noise exposure is 85 dBA* (action level) or greater averaged over an
8-hour workday (TWA)
- the maximum sound level is 115 dBA* or greater
- peak (impact) noise levels are 140 dBA* or greater
- The allowable exposure for longer shifts may be lower, and can be
calculated from Table G16a in the Hearing Conservation Amendment
- Repeat noise monitoring when production conditions change (new equipment or
changes in production that affect noise levels) or when additional employees
may be at risk of exposure at or above the action level. Workers must be
provided with the results of monitoring studies, and must be able to observe
monitoring if they desire.
Audiometric Hearing Testing
TEST HEARING - Part of the HCP is an annual assessment of hearing called
audiogram. Each worker in the HCP must get an original audiogram, called a
baseline, within six months of starting work in an HCP area to determine how
well he/she hears before they are exposed to noise by this employer.
The worker muse be noise-free for 14 hours
prior to getting the baseline test to make sure the test is an accurate
assessment of his/her hearing. The audiogram is then repeated yearly, with the
most recent test results compared to the baseline to check for changes.
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→ Hearing Conservation Programs
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