Each Response Should Be A Minimum Of 200 Words In Length

Each Response Should Be A Minimum Of 200 Words In Length Required To

Each Response Should Be A Minimum Of 200 Words In Length Required To

Question 1: Discuss the risk of hearing loss at 90dBA, 85dBA, and 80dBA. Compare your finding with the OSHA PEL and the ACGIH TLV.

Exposure to noise levels above certain thresholds significantly increases the risk of hearing loss among workers. According to Plog and Quinlan (2012), sustained exposure to noise at or above 85 decibels A-weighted (dBA) can cause permanent hearing damage. At 90 dBA, the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) becomes pronounced with prolonged exposure, as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) at 90 dBA for an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). This means that exposure exceeding 90 dBA over an 8-hour shift is considered unsafe unless proper hearing protection is used. Conversely, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends a Threshold Limit Value (TLV) at 85 dBA, emphasizing the need for hearing conservation programs at this level. At 85 dBA, the risk of NIHL increases notably with longer exposure durations without adequate hearing protection. At 80 dBA, the risk diminishes, and OSHA typically perceives this as a safer threshold, but prolonged exposure could still lead to gradual hearing damage, especially in sensitive individuals. Comparing these standards, OSHA's PEL (90 dBA) is more permissive than ACGIH's TLV (85 dBA), indicating the latter's more conservative stance to prevent hearing loss (Plog & Quinlan, 2012). Hence, implementing protective measures at levels above 85 dBA is crucial to preventing NIHL among workers.

Paper For Above instruction

Hearing loss due to noise exposure is a significant occupational hazard that can lead to irreversible damage if appropriate controls are not implemented. The risk associated with different noise levels, specifically 90 dBA, 85 dBA, and 80 dBA, varies considerably depending on the duration of exposure and individual susceptibility. OSHA’s PEL of 90 dBA corresponds to an 8-hour TWA; exceeding this limit increases the probability of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), especially over sustained periods (Plog & Quinlan, 2012). The PEL allows up to 8 hours of exposure at 90 dBA, but any exposure beyond this threshold without adequate hearing protection increases the risk of permanent hearing damage. Contrast this with the ACGIH TLV, which advocates for a lower limit at 85 dBA, reflecting a more cautious approach consistent with recent research indicating that hearing loss can occur at lower levels if the exposure duration is prolonged (Kryter, 2013). The risk at 80 dBA is somewhat lower; however, cumulative exposure over years can still pose a hazard, particularly for sensitive individuals or those exposed to intermittently higher levels. Therefore, protective strategies such as engineering controls, administrative controls, and hearing conservation programs are essential when exposures approach or exceed these limits. OSHA's and ACGIH's standards highlight the importance of maintaining noise exposures below these thresholds to prevent NIHL. Adhering to these standards is vital for worker safety and long-term health outcomes, underscoring that noise safety is a critical component of occupational health management (Plog & Quinlan, 2012).

References

  • Plog, B. A., & Quinlan, P. (2012). Fundamentals of industrial hygiene (6th ed.). National Safety Council.
  • Kryter, K. D. (2013). The effects of noise on man. Academic Press.
  • OSHA, Occupational Noise Exposure Standard (29 CFR 1910.95).
  • ACGIH, Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents & Biological Exposure Indices, 2023.
  • Nelson, D. I., Nelson, R. Y., Concha-Barrientos, M., & Fingerhut, M. (2005). The global burden of occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Ear and Hearing, 26(5), 445-453.
  • Leventhall, G. (2004). Noise-induced hearing loss. In F. A. M. Kaczor & F. R. Fetherston (Eds.), Industrial noise and hearing loss. CRC Press.
  • Morata, T. C., et al. (2017). Noise exposure and hearing loss in workers: An update. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 74(9), 698-704.
  • Clark, W. W. (2008). Noise, hearing loss, and the occupational environment. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 50(11), 1244-1250.
  • Hall, J. W. (2016). Noise control in the workplace. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 13(9), 591-601.
  • Royster, J. D., et al. (2014). Future directions in occupational noise control. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 135(4), 1825-1834.

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