to provide
hearing protection for workers exposed to hazardous noise. Best
practice has shown that providing a good variety of hearing
protectors improves compliance, but smart employers will also
encourage employees to take hearing protectors home.
“Noise hazards are not exclusive to the workplace,”
said Howard Leight’s Theresa Y. Schulz, Ph.D., hearing conservation
manager, “but compensation claims for noise-induced hearing loss
often are. Lawn mowers, chain saws, home workshop tools, even
personal listening devices (e.g., mp3 players), and cranked up
stereo systems can all add to hearing damage, but it’s usually the
employer who ends up paying the price.”
Encouraging workers to wear hearing protection off
the job as well as on makes sense for other reasons as well, says
Schulz.
“One of the most difficult tasks safety managers
face with regard to hearing conservation is convincing employees of
the risk. Talking about noise hazards present in everyday activities
brings the hearing conservation message ‘home’ in a very meaningful
way. It gets workers’ attention, helps make earplug use habitual,
and more often than not, gets the neighbors attention as well.”
It is also important that the “take ‘em home”
message be overt and not just tacit, says Dr. Schulz.
“Employees should not be made to feel that they are
pilfering, or that management is simply looking the other way,” she
said. Rather, the message should be loud and clear.
She recommends posting signs by disposable earplug
dispensers recommending employees ‘Pocket a Pair for Home,’ and
making particular mention of the policy in training sessions and
group meetings.
“Any excuse to talk about hearing
conservation is one more opportunity to drive the safety message
home,” she said. “And specifying which hearing protectors are freely
available for home use can help control costs.”
What types of earplugs are best
to offer? Schulz says that while single-use foam earplugs, cost less
per pair, multiple-use earplugs like the AirSoft or Clarity brands,
which can be washed and reused many times, can actually be more
economical, especially in an off-the-job setting where use is less
frequent. Multiple-use earplugs can also be easier to insert.
“But everyone’s ears are
different,” says Schulz. “An earplug that is comfortable and
effective for one person may be uncomfortable and ineffective for
another. Just as offering choice works best for workplace
compliance, it is also best for home use.”
