A history of noise exposure standards

Abstract

In the 1950s, the Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustics and Biomechanics (CHABA) investigated and developed recommendations for a variety of noise exposures. In 1956, the United States Air Force published AF Regulation 160-3, generally considered to be the first hearing conservation program in the US. The Walsh-Healy Act regulations [41 CFR 50-204.10] defined noise limits for occupational noise exposure for government supply contracts and the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-173) adopted these limits for underground and surface coal mine operations. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-596) created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH published Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Noise in 1972. OSHA promulgated a regulation for occupational noise exposure and updated that with the Hearing Conservation Amendment 29 CFR Part 1910.95. The Mine Safety Administration has regulations for noise exposure that were updated in 1999, 30 CFR part 62. The military developed the materiel acquisition standard MIL-STD 1474E for high-level impulse noise. Existing and future needs for noise exposure standards for continuous, intermittent, and impulsive noise exposures will be discussed in this paper.