Hearing conservation—A shipyard challenge

Abstract

The United States Navy has had instructions dealing specifically with hearing conservation for 18 years. With this knowledge, one would expect that any single Naval installation should now have a well-established and effective program to prevent occupational hearing loss in all employees. It is disappointing that the Naval shipyard discussed in this presentation has shown a concerted effort to meet the challenges of hearing conservation only during the past 2 years. A few deficiencies still exist. The most bothersome problem areas, at present, are the lack of stress on engineering control of noise, poor enforcement of hearing protector use, and the uncertainty of getting annual monitoring audiograms on all employees exposed to hazardous noise. Several items in the Hearing Conservation Program have been brought to acceptable levels in the past 2 years. These include posting of noise hazard signs, education of employees and medical personnel, audiometric testing, appropriate interpretation of each audiogram, proper disposition of affected employees, and adequate physician involvement in the overall program. Noise measurement has been the only aspect of this shipyard's Hearing Conservation Program which has been performed in a consistently adequate manner. This shipyard now possesses all of the basic tools for having an effective, functioning Hearing Conservation Program. However, the success of this shipyard's Hearing Conservation Program challenge is dependent on the proper and continued motivation of both the management and the work force.