Noise Control Strategies
Noise control strategies are the first line of defense against excessive workplace noise. Their purpose is to reduce, eliminate, or replace sources of hazardous noise and to minimize worker exposure, thereby lowering the risk of hearing damage. Even a small reduction in decibel levels can significantly reduce hearing hazards, improve communication, and decrease noise-related annoyance.
Reducing Noise Hazards and Exposure
OSHA’s Hierarchy of Controls for managing noise exposure includes:
- Engineering Controls:
Aim to eliminate or contain hazardous noise at its source. - Administrative Controls:
Reduce exposure by altering work schedules, limiting the time any one worker spends in noisy areas. - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
Protect workers by providing barriers between the noise and the worker when other controls are insufficient.
The hierarchy emphasizes that the most effective approach is to eliminate the noise hazard. If elimination is not possible, exposure should be managed through scheduling or PPE. When neither elimination nor relocation is feasible, PPE becomes essential to protect workers’ hearing.
By applying these controls, workplaces can reduce hazardous noise exposure to a level where the risk to hearing is either eliminated or made manageable.