Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine (April 2017)
Construction workers under 21 are less likely wear hearing protection on the job than those of any other age group in British Columbia, according to new statistics from WorkSafeBC, released on February 23, 2017.
The latest data, garnered from more than 160,000 hearing tests that employers in the province conducted last year, show that nearly one-quarter of surveyed construction workers under 21 reported not wearing hearing protection in 2016, as opposed to 13 per cent of workers older than 50 and 11 per cent of workers aged 21 to 50. Young workers in construction are also less likely to wear hearing protection than young workers in other industries that requires it. WorkSafeBC has accepted more than 37,000 workers’ compensation claims for noise-induced hearing loss since 2006.
Noise-induced hearing loss “can be caused by a single exposure to loud noise, or more typically, by repeated exposure to consistent noise. While the damage may be painless, it is irreversible and may go unnoticed for years,” WorkSafeBC occupational audiologist Sasha Brown says. “We want to raise the level of awareness among employers of the prevalence and seriousness of this occupational disease.”
My opinion
The Ontario Noise regulation requires that the employer must make sure that no worker is exposed to a sound level greater than a time-weighted average exposure limit of 85 dBA measured over an 8-hour work day.
In the United States it is not permissible to expose any employee in excess of the 90-dBA criterion, which means that no employee may be exposed to the equivalence of a constant sound pressure level of 90 dBA for more than 8 hours, or to the equivalence of a constant sound pressure level 95 dBA for more than 4 hours, and so on.
Your work in British Columbia must have involved a continuous exposure to noise levels averaging above 85 dBA (noise in decibels) for 8 or more hours per day for at least a total of two years.
Please ensure that your company has the knowledge of the appropriate hearing-loss legislation in your area. If you cannot find the information, contact a safety professional in your area.
HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs including ‘Due Diligence’ and ‘Standard Operating Procedures’. Contact Deborah toll free at 1-877-907-7744 or locally at 705-749-1259.
Ensure your workplace is a safe place.
Remember – In Ontario, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”
‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.
Daniel L. Beal
CHSEP – Advanced Level
CEO & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.