New Industrial Business Owners: How Do You Protect Your Employees' Hearing?
If you're a new industrial business owner, you might have many things on your plate, including finding reliable vendors and hiring good employees. But one of things you might not put on your list of things to do right away is protecting your new workers' hearing from excessive noise. If your new employees will work directly with loud machinery, it's essential that you find ways to keep their hearing and ears safe during operations. Here are things you can do to protect your staff's hearing.
Invest in Sound-Reducing Earplugs and Headphones
Loud machinery, equipment, and tools have the potential to cause short-term and long-term hearing loss in some of your employees. Sound-induced hearing loss is one of the most prevalent conditions affecting workers today. If you don't take steps to protect your staff's hearing, it may potentially cost you time and money, especially if your employees rely on your company for their health expenses.
One of the things you can do is invest in sound-reducing earplugs and headphones. The devices block out sounds that could damage the delicate tissues of the ears, including the eardrums. If your employees are exposed to loud noises over 85 decibels for long periods of time, it can cause a loss of hearing.
In addition to earplugs and headphones, sign up for hearing conservation services.
Seek Hearing Conservation Services
Hearing conservation is designed to prevent hearing loss in people who work in industrial, factory, and other noisy settings. Audiologists (hearing specialists) who provide these services will generally assess your business to see if it meets the standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Your facility should have the right sound-reducing equipment, educational training programs, and resources to keep your workers safe while on duty.
In addition, you as a business owner learn how to recognize the signs of hearing loss in your staff. Workers with hearing loss may ask you to repeat your words or questions. The employees may talk louder than normal, or they may suddenly experience ear ringing, headaches, and other hearing related conditions.
If any of the health complications do occur, you can refer your employees to an audiologist for an exam and care. An audiologist can prescribe the correct treatments to improve your employees' hearing, such as hearing aids and auditory training.
To learn more about sound-induced hearing loss, contact an audiologist or hearing conservation service provider, like Audiology Consultants, P.C., today.