According to the National Hearing Conservation Association, “nearly 22 million American workers are exposed to hazardous noise on a daily basis and that occupational hearing loss continues to plague industry, the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has made a request to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to reduce the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise exposures.”

“Noise-induced hearing loss is an insidious, permanent, and irreversible disease which has a tremendous negative impact on people’s lives. The good news is that this disease is 100% preventable,” said Rick Neitzel, PhD, CIH, NHCA President. “The bad news is that OSHA’s 30-year-old noise exposure regulation is not consistent with current scientific knowledge, is not uniformly applied across all industries, and has not proven effective in preventing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).”

It is important for companies to remain committed to their employees safety. Businesses should make sure that all workers are well trained on hearing protection and know that hearing loss is permanent. Be sure that dispensers with ear plugs are present where they can be easily accessed by all employees before entering high noise environments.  Making small changes will help ensure the safety of your employees hearing.

The mission of the National Hearing Conservation Association is to prevent hearing loss due to noise and other environmental factors in all sectors of society. Visit http://www.hearingconservation.org/ for more information.

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