Hearing Conservation Program A hearing conservation program is designed to help you protect your hearing. OSHA, the federal agency charged with protecting the health of workers, has mandated hearing protection programs for workers exposed to loud noise. Hearing conservation Hearing conservation begins with measuring the noise in the workplace to discover which workers are exposed to noise and at what levels. The louder the sound, the less exposure it takes to damage the hearing mechanism of the ear. OSHA has set 85 dB averaged over a workday as the level for inclusion into a hearing protection program.
Noise exposure occurs at home and leisure activities just as it does in the workplace.
You might be surprised at how loud some normal sounds are. Hearing protectors Hearing protectors offer a barrier between your ear and the sounds. The most common types of hearing protectors are disposable or reusable earl plugs and ear muffs. For home use, choosing protectors that are comfortable and easy to wear will encourage you to use them regularly. Annual audiograms Annual audiograms are an important part of a workplace hearing conservation program.