Noise Safety Engineering

Loud noise at work can damage hearing. Approximately 22 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise at work. To minimize occupational noise-induced hearing loss, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers should not be exposed to noise at a level that amounts to more than 85 decibels (dBA) for 8 hours. To create a more healthful workplace, recommends an approach based on the hierarchy of control.Occupational safety and health professionals use the hierarchy of control  to determine how to implement feasible and effective controls. This approach groups actions by their likely effectiveness in reducing or removing the noise hazard.