Industrial Testing
State-of-the-art onsite hearing testing are dispatched to your employees for annual hearing assessments, providing a convenient solution that both saves time and supports your compliance and safety goals. Testing includes hearing examination, immediate test results and counseling on next steps.
- Hearing Conservation Program: Monitoring of noise exposure levels in a way that accurately identifies employees exposed to noise at or above 85 decibels (dB) average over 8 working hours or an 8 -hour time weighted average (TWA). This includes all continuous, intermittent, and impulsive noise within an 80dB to 130 dB range and must be taken during a typical work situation.
- Audiometric Testing: Audiometric testing monitors and employee’s hearing over time. Allowing for employees to be educated about their hearing and the need to protect it. This is established and maintained by the employer, for the purpose is to create baseline audiograms, annual audiograms, training and follow up. Given on site to all employees who are exposed to an action level of 85 dB or above measured as an 8-hour TWA. Referrals are given t employee’s when further testing is indicated. There are 2 types of audiograms required in the hearing conservation program, one is the baseline and the is an annual audiogram which is a full evaluation.
- Baseline Audiogram: Audiogram against which future audiograms are compared. This should be done within 6 months of employee’s first exposure at or above an 8-hour TWA of 85 dB. Employee exposed must be fit with, issued, and required to wear hearing protectors whenever they are exposed to noise levels above TWA of 85 dB for any period exceeding 6 months after the first exposure until baseline audiogram is conducted.
- Annual Audiograms: Provided to employees within one year of the baseline. The annual test helps identify deterioration in their hearing ability as early as possible. It allows the employer to initiate protective measures before hearing loss progresses. Annual audiograms are compared to baseline audiograms to determine whether the audiogram is valid and whether the employee has lost the ability or experience a standard threshold shift (STS). An STS is an average shift in either ear of 10 dB or more at 2K, 3k, or 4K hertz.
Noise
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year. Regardless of where you work, hearing loss is preventable with proper sound and safety measures.
How loud is your workplace?
If you need to raise your voice to speak with someone 3 feet away, chances are noise levels are over 85 decibels (dB). According to OSHA standards, noise in the workplace should not exceed 85dB over 8 working hours. If exceeded, employers may be required to implement a hearing conservation program, which can be expensive and time consuming.
Stay Ahead with a Sound and Safety Noise Survey
Noise level testing and readings should be conducted by experienced acoustic professionals. DDS Acoustical Specialties offers sound surveys to determine initial noise levels. Using our findings and your desired goal, we create an acoustic solution that will protect employees.
How to Reduce Noise in the Workplace
Sound and safety improvements in the workplace are accomplished in a number of ways. We always talk about how we can reduce the noise.
- Step 1 – Identify the noise source(s)
- Step 2 – Determine what kind of noise we are experiencing. Airbourne, structure-bourne, a combination of the two?
- Step 3 – Determine what products and application can be used to reduce the noise from the source in a given area.
On-site hearing screening for Employees
At dB Hearing Center, we offer industrial hearing testing (On-Site or In-Office Mobile Testing) and education as well as custom and non custom ear protection like earbuds and earmuffs at different sizes, so you can choose what is most comfortable for you.
To learn more about our Industrial Hearing Testing services, call us at (716) 633-2137 or fill the form on this page and we will contact you.
