Aural Protection for Utility Employees

Abstract

Compliance with occupational noise exposure standards requires a period for program development and implementation. The time period for compliance with noise standards by engineering methods varies from industry to industry. Consistant with the U. S. Labor Department Bulletin No. 334, an employee hearing-conservation program includes identification of noise-exposed personnel, audiometric examination, inclusion of noise-control techniques by engineering methods, education programs, and personal hearing protection. The type of personal hearing protectors selected for use during the interim period when noise-control devices are engineered and installed depends upon the amount of noise reduction required, environmental conditions in which the protectors will be worn, and compatibility with existing safety equipment and industry safety standards. An aural protector for power plant employees was developed. This earmuff is made with no metal parts to insure a dielectric strength of greater than 30 000 V. It is approximately 33% lighter than earmuffs with metal bands, and is inexpensive and designed to be worn with safety caps. Noise attenuation provided by these earmuffs compares favorably to protection provided by alternate methods. Development and continued refinement of this “metal-less” muff has provided a viable means of personal hearing protection for power plant employees.