Today’s federal, state, and local regulations regarding acceptable noise levels in and around the industrial work environment are stringent. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to implement a hearing conservation program when noise exposure is at or above 85dB averaged over eight working hours.
There are several different ways to control worker exposure to excessive noise and thereby prevent hearing loss, including using quieter machines, isolating the noise source, limiting worker exposure, or using effective personal protective equipment (PPE).