1. Program Description
2. Scope
3. Definitions
4. Responsibilities
5. Program Components
6. Training Requirements and Competency Assessment
7. Information and External References

1. Program Description

The purpose of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) is to help protect UCI employees from hearing loss due to occupational noise exposure. Although UCI attempts to control noise exposures on campus, certain operations and workstations may expose faculty and staff to significant noise levels. All personnel who are regularly exposed to occupational noise levels at or exceeding an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA are included in the Hearing Conservation Program (HCP).

2. Scope

2.1 This HCP applies to all employees of UCI.

2.2 The departments or occupations that may be at risk to elevated noise levels may include the following:

• Central Plant
• Grounds Keeping
• Machine Shop
• Carpentry Shop
• Key Shop
• Housing and Dining Services
• Engineering

2.3 UCI's Hearing Conservation Program includes:

• Noise exposure assessments
• Audiometric testing
• Hearing protection
• Employee education and training
• Recordkeeping

3. Definitions

Action Level:

The level of noise exposure at which:

•  An employee must be enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program and provided audiometric testing

•  Representative noise exposure monitoring is required by EH&S

•  Hearing protectors and training on noise hazards must be provided to the employee

*Cal/OSHA has set the current action level at 85 A-weighted decibels, or dBA, over an eight-hour period.

Audiogram Testing : Exams that measure the sensitivity of a person's hearing threshold in decibels. The testing also establishes a baseline hearing threshold that is compared to later exams to determine if hearing loss has occurred.

Audiologist : A professional specializing in the study and rehabilitation of hearing, who is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or licensed by a state board of examiners.

A-Weighted: The A weighting, expressed as dBA, is the scale used for most occupational noise measurements. The A weighting approximates the range of human hearing as it filters out lower frequency noises, which are not as damaging as the higher frequencies.

Baseline Audiogram : The audiogram against which future audiograms are compared.

Continuous Noise : Noise levels that vary with intervals of one second or less.

C-Weighted : Expressed as dBC. The C weighting filters include both high and low frequency noise and are used for impact noise and in the selection of hearing protection.

Decibels (dB): A measure of the sound level (loudness). The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale; as an example, a 90 dB noise is ten times louder than a 80 dB noise.

Frequency: A sound's pitch measured in hertz (hz); high pitches are high frequency sounds.

Hearing Protection Devices (HPD's): Personal protective equipment that is designed to be worn in the ear canal or over the ear to reduce the sound level reaching the ear drum. Examples include ear muffs or plugs.

Hearing Threshold Level (HTL) : The lowest threshold that the employee can hear the test tone during an audiometric test. The HTL's are recorded on the employee's audiogram.

Hertz (Hz) : A unit of measurement of frequency, expressed as cycles per second.

Impulse/Impact Noise : Noise that is a sharp burst of sound, generally less than one-half second in duration, that does not repeat itself more than once per second.

Noise: Unwanted sound.

Noise Dosimeter : An instrument worn by an individual that integrates the sound level exposure over a period of time.

Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) : The Noise Reduction Rating of hearing protection devices (HPD) indicates the theoretical amount of reduction of noise levels that can be achieved if the HPD is worn correctly. This rating is shown on the HPD packaging.

Otolaryngologist : A physician specializing in diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ear, nose and throat.

Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) : 90 dBA TWA. Employees may be exposed to 90 dBA for an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) exposure without experiencing serious hearing effects.

Pitch : Another term for sound frequency. Higher pitches are higher frequency sounds.

Representative Exposure : Measurements of an employee's noise dose or 8-hour time weighted average sound level that is representative of the exposures of other employees in the workplace.

Sound : A vibration or pressure oscillation that is detectable by the ear drum.

Sound Level Meter : An instrument used for the measurement of noise in sound level surveys.

Speech Interference Levels (SILs) : The frequencies most associated with speech, which are the 500-4000 hz (frequency) range. Vowels (a, e, i, o, u) are low frequency sounds (below 2000 hz) and consonants (b, c, d, etc) are high frequency sounds. The low frequencies are the least affected by noise. If the high frequencies are affected, t's and p's or s's and f's may be easily confused.

Standard Threshold Shift: An average shift from the baseline measurement in either ear of 10 dB or more at 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz. These frequencies are the most important frequencies in communication and the most sensitive to damage by industrial noise exposure.

Time-Weighted Average Sound Level : That sound level, which if constant over an 8-hour exposure, would result in the same noise dose as is measured.

Threshold of Pain : A noise level of 120 dB causes pain.

Weighting Filters, Scales or Networks : Sound level meters and dosimeters use a selective weighting system (filters) to eliminate certain frequencies from the measurements that are unimportant in the noise exposure.

4. Responsibilities

4.1 Department Heads, Managers, Supervisors, and Principal Investigators

• Notify Environmental Health and Safety of noise complaints or potential noise hazards.
• Ensure that employees are provided with hearing protectors when required.
• Ensure that employees properly use and care for hearing protectors.
• Ensure that noise-hazardous equipment/areas are properly labeled or posted (greater than or equal to 85 dBA operating noise level).
• Notify Environmental Health and Safety of process, materials or equipment changes that may alter noise exposures.
• Ensure that potentially overexposed employees are provided with a baseline audiometric hearing test prior to the initial work assignment and then annually thereafter.
• Ensure potentially overexposed personnel attend EH&S HCP training and annual refresher training.

4.2 Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S)

• Administer the Hearing Conservation Program.
• Workplace and employee noise evaluation:
  • Conduct noise assessment to determine if administrative and engineering controls are needed, and how they will be implemented.
  • Identify areas or processes that require noise abatement and/or posting.
  • Evaluate and periodically reevaluate employees' exposure, by job classification, to determine which job titles need to be included in the Hearing Conservation Program.
• Assist employees in selection of proper protective devices and provide instruction on their use.
• Provide HCP training.
• Maintain records of employee exposure measurements.

4.3 Faculty and Staff

• Wear hearing protection devices as required in posted high noise areas (also applies to students, visitors and guests).
• Attend required training sessions on noise hazards.
• Report noise hazards and hearing protector problems to the appropriate supervisor
• Maintain hearing protectors in sanitary condition and proper working order

4.4 Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine(COEM)

• Provide baseline, annual, and post-employment audiometric exams
• Communicate any identified standard threshold shifts to the employee and his or her supervisor
• Establish any work restrictions necessary to prevent additional hearing loss.

5. Program Components

5.1 Noise Exposure Assessments

• Representative noise monitoring with a designed sampling strategy will be performed by EH&S to allow the identification of employees for inclusion in the Hearing Conservation Program and to enable the proper selection of hearing protection.
• All continuous, intermittent and impulsive sound levels from 80 to 130 dBA will be integrated into the computation.
• Monitoring will be repeated when any changes occur in the production, process, equipment or controls which might render the hearing protectors inadequate or require additional employees to be included in the program.
• Employees exposed at or above the action level will be notified of the results of the monitoring and included in the Hearing Conservation Program.
• Employees' noise exposure will be reassessed periodically as needed (i.e. following changes in processes, job responsibilities, or equipment).

5.2 Audiometric Testing

• Audiometric testing program will be managed by COEM.
• Audiometric database analysis (ADBA) procedures will be performed as defined in ANSI Standard S12.13-1991, to assess the effectiveness of hearing conservation efforts (i.e. is hearing loss being prevented).
• Baseline audiograms will be preceded by at least 14 hours without exposure to workplace noise. This requirement may be met by wearing hearing protectors which will reduce the employee's exposure to a sound level of 80 dBA or below.
• Initial and annual baseline audiograms will be provided for employees whose job classification and noise exposure monitoring demonstrates that workplace noise levels continue to equal or exceed 85 dbA.
• Employees will be informed in writing within 21 days when an audiogram indicates a standard threshold shift which is determined to be work related.

5.3 Hearing Protection

• Employees exposed to noise levels at or above an 8-hour TWA of 90 dBA shall wear hearing protectors. Employees exposed to noise levels at or above the action level of an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA shall wear hearing protectors if they have experienced a documented standard threshold shift or have not obtained a baseline audiogram.
• Hearing protectors will be available to all employees exposed to noise levels at or above the action level of 85 dBA, 8-hr TWA, at no cost to the employees.
• Employees will be given the opportunity to select their hearing protectors from a variety of suitable types.
• Proper initial fitting and supervision of the correct use of hearing protectors will be provided.
• For employees who have experienced a standard threshold shift, the attenuation must reduce the sound level to an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA or less.
• Reevaluation of hearing protectors will be done whenever a workplace noise level increase renders the hearing protector's attenuation inadequate.
• Workplaces in which the noise level exceeds 85 dBA will have signs posted. Signs shall read " Hearing Protectors Required ".

5.4 Recordkeeping

• Noise exposure measurement records will be retained for a minimum of 2 years by EH&S. Audiometric test records are retained by COEM for employees enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program and will include:
  • the name and job classification of the employee
  • the date of the audiogram
  • the examiner's name
  • the employee's most recent noise exposure assessment
  • the date of the last acoustic or exhaustive calibration of the audiometer and the measurement of the background sound pressure levels in the audiometric test rooms.
• Records of audiometric test results will be retained for the duration of the affected employee's employment.

6. Training Requirements and Competency Assessment

6.1 Annual training is required for all employees who are on the HCP (exposed to noise at or above an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA). Training is provided by EH&S and can be customized for work groups. Sign up for this training at: http://www.ehs.uci.edu/train.html

6.2 Training will cover the following information:

• the effects of noise on hearing
• the purpose, advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation of various types of hearing protectors
• instruction of proper fitting and care of protectors
• the purpose and procedures of audiometric testing

7. Information and External References

7.1 Cal-OSHA Regulations – Control of Noise Exposures
California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 5096-5100 Article 105

7.2 Permissible Noise Exposure – Table N-1
http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5096.html

INITIATOR: John W. Chan
DATE: 3/04