The Hearing Conservation Program is the result of the promulgation of an amendment to the Federal Noise Standard 29CFR1910.95. The effect of this amendment is that employers who have employees with noise exposures in excess of 85 dBA over an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) are required to administer a continuing, effective Hearing Conservation Program (HCP). Exposures at or above 85 dBA for an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA), are atypical of monitored groups at Illinois State University. The HCP consists of five basic components: audiometric testing, employee training, exposure monitoring, hearing protection and record-keeping.
Inclusion into the HCP is determined by noise monitoring. Noise monitoring has been conducted with the use of sound level meters and noise dosimetry to identify and confirm areas or operations where noise levels meet or exceed 85 dBA. High noise areas are posted with a warning sign to notify employees working in these areas that hearing protection is needed to reduce noise levels below 85dBA . Groups conducting operations where noise levels exceed 85dBA that cannot be controlled by administrative or engineering controls are advised to wear hearing protection to reduce noise levels below 85 dBA. Groups who routinely have exposures at or above these noise levels are considered high risk groups, included in the HCP and provided annual audiometric evaluations to identify occupational hearing loss.
Employees are given baseline audiometric testing and then annually for high risk groups. Audiograms are not required annually for low risk groups whose exposures are not routinely at or above 85 dBA but are offered. Two essential elements of the program include; testing employee hearing acuity and educating the employees about their hearing and the need to protect it. The required training includes: the effects of noise; the purpose, advantages, disadvantages and attenuation characteristics of hearing protection; and the purpose and procedures of audiometric testing. The program further requires documentation of all noise monitoring, tests and training, and that it be retained for specified lengths of time. Another component of the program is the use of hearing protection. The use of hearing protection is mandatory for employees who have experienced threshold shifts. Hearing protection must also be provided to all workers exposed at or above a TWA of 85 dBA. Employees must be trained on how to use and care for their hearing protectors.
