Hearing Conservation Program Objective & Responsibility

 OBJECTIVE

To provide guidelines to minimize the risks associated with workplace noise exposure to employees and to prevent noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). The company is committed to provide employees with a safe and healthful working environment. This is optimally accomplished by incorporating feasible safeguards into facilities and equipment designs. When effective engineering controls are not feasible, or when they are being initiated, administrative controls and/or personal protective equipment will be utilized to prevent employee exposure to noise over regulated or recommended levels.

SCOPE

Applicable to activities carried out within the company premise.  

 

RESPONSIBILITY
 

Management

The management shall:

-Ensure that noise control measures are in place such that no employees are exposed to excessive noise.

-Where 50 or more persons employed are exposed or likely to be exposed to excessive noise, a competent person  (Noise Control Officer) should be appointed to advise the management on the proper noise control measures.

-Ensure that the individuals who advise on noise control are suitably qualified, whether in-house personnel or service provider.

-Allocate appropriate resources and, as far as it is reasonably practicable, implement the noise control plan put up by  the competent person.

-Ensure that the noise control plan be reviewed at least once every three years or until such time when the noise is reduced to an acceptable level and the noise hazard is eliminated.

-Consider the noise emission levels during the selection and procurement of new machines since the selection of quieter machines at the initial stage can bring about cost savings from the need to introduce noise control measures after initial installation.

-Appoint a Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) Administrator to take charge of the HCP. 

The HCP administrator should be an individual who has keen interest in the company’s HCP. He / She should possess good communication skills and spend time at the production floor to interact with employees to discuss the noise problems and associated prevention or solutions. 

HCP Administrator

The HCP administrator should coordinate all aspects of the program and possess knowledge on:

-individual elements of HCP

-relevant provisions of the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act, the Workplace Safety and Health (Noise) Regulations, and the WSH (Risk Management) Regulations,

-effects of noise on hearing, and

-purpose of hearing protectors and audiometric examinations 

The EHS Officer / Manager shall be the HCP Administrator. He / She shall:

-coordinate the HCP,

-monitor its progress,

-assess its performance,

-evaluate its effectiveness,

-review the HCP at regular intervals, 

-ensure that the set objectives are met,

-arrange meetings or discussions to promote collaboration of effort between management and team members, and-foster exchange of information between management and team members on the progress of the program

 

Competent person for noise monitoring:

A competent person is an individual who is trained to conduct proper noise monitoring. The person should work with the HCP administrator to ensure that noise monitoring is conducted properly. The tasks of a competent person include:

-Identifying work areas with excessive noise i.e. areas where employees are exposed or likely to be exposed to noise  levels at or above 85 dB(A).

-Identifying individual noise sources (e.g. equipment, machines, processes, operations and work activities) which  contribute to the excessive noise in the work areas.

-Monitoring or assessing the noise exposure levels of individual persons working in the work areas identified to have excessive noise. Determine whether the noise exposure levels are excessive, i.e., at or above an equivalent sound  pressure level of 85 dB(A) over an eight-hour period per day.

-Conducting noise monitoring or measurements at regular intervals (at least once every three years) or whenever there is any change in equipment, machinery, processes, operations, controls or other conditions, which may result in excessive noise generation or emission.

Ensuring  that the instruments used for noise monitoring are calibrated at required intervals. The accuracy of the instruments should be verified with an acoustic calibrator immediately before and after every measurement.  In addition, the instrument used should be sent to the manufacturer or its authorized agents for servicing and maintenance at intervals recommended by the manufacturer.

Ensuring  that noise measurements performed are representative of employee’s normal daily exposure to noise. To obtain representative results, the following should be considered:

-ensure adequate sampling of all work processes,

-ensure adequate duration of sampling, and

-discuss with employees to have a better understanding of the work environment  and processes monitored to obtain a more representative measurement.

-Ensure the appropriate selection of parameters, such as weighting network, meter’s response, exchange rate, criterion levels and threshold levels for accurate noise measurements. Normally an ‘A’ weighting network is used to measure the average noise levels while a ‘C’ weighting network is used to measure peak and impact / impulse noise. 

The following points should be noted during measurement:

.Measure at a suitable distance from the noise source. The sound measuring instrument should be held at arm’s length or using a remote microphone to avoid reflections from the body.

.Keep away from reflecting surfaces.

.Ensure that there are no obstacles between the noise source and the instrument.

.Check background noise level and make corrections if necessary.

.Use a wind shield to protect the microphone.

-Prepare a Noise Monitoring Report as described in the WSH (Noise) Regulations.

-Perform a noise mapping of work areas with excessive noise, including a contour of 85 dB(A) around the noise source(s) on the noise map.

-Present and explain the results of noise monitoring in a clear and understandable format to the management and employees. Ensure that results of the noise monitoring are communicated to all persons exposed to excessive noise not later than 14 days after preparation of the report.

-Assist management in implementing a job rotation schedule for the exposed employees if engineering noise controls are not practicable.

-Assist management in implementing a maintenance program for equipment and machinery to minimise noise generation from friction, wear and tear, or unbalanced parts of machines.

-Assist management in implementing a HCP which includes regular noise monitoring, hearing protection and health education of persons exposed to excessive noise.

 

Competent person for noise control:

A noise control officer is an individual who is adequately trained and knowledgeable on the details of noise control to provide the management with sound advice on the proper noise control measures. He/ She should work with the HCP administrator and the employees to ensure that the proposed noise control measures are implemented. The tasks of a noise control officer include:

-Identifying all possible noise sources.

-Evaluating specific machinery or noise source for noise control, and determining the most practical and effective  methods of reducing the noise to meet the desired criteria.

-Involving the machine operators or production people on the selection of the noise control measures which may interfere with their work; communicate with them on the proper use of the noise control devices to ensure that the controls are kept in good condition.

.Developing a comprehensive noise control plan with recommendations on engineering noise controls where practicable. A sample template of the noise control plan is in Appendix C.

-Working closely with the management when putting up the noise control plan, especially in recommending priorities and setting targets for noise control.

-Assisting the management in implementing the noise control plan and evaluating the effectiveness of noise control measures.

-Reviewing and revising the noise control plan at least once every three years or whenever there is a significant change in the work processes or machinery