Keep vehicles in good running order. Workers can be exposed to extreme cold for long periods if they get stranded in vehicles that break down. Too much noise can damage hearing. Continuous or periodic noise can be harmful. This may last for minutes, hours or days.
Normal hearing does return.
You do not need fancy equipment to know if you are exposed to noisy conditions. The level of sound is measured in units called decibels. The abbreviation for decibels is dB. On the decibel scale, each time the number of decibels goes up by three, the level of the noise is doubled. Examples of common noises and their decibel levels are shown in the chart below. Engineering Controls Noisy machinery can be enclosed, isolated or rigged with equipment to muffle sound.