Evaluating Occupational Hazards: Addressing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Back Injuries in a Manufacturing Setting

Evaluating Occupational Hazards: Addressing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Back Injuries in a Manufacturing Setting

Occupational health is one of the emerging themes that specifically focuses on the health, safety, and well-being of employees in the workplace. Among the many dangers that often predispose workers to injuries and deaths, which often translate to lost economic output due to lengthy treatment outlays, noise seems to take less consideration, although it has a negative impact on the general welfare of workers (Sliwinska-Kowalska & Davis, 2012). Even though noise cannot be avoided in normal manufacturing and processing workplaces, very loud or high-pitched sounds can damage hearing, and sometimes at very low levels, it can disrupt sleep patterns, concentration, communication, outdoor recreational activities, or even cause accidents. In a study commissioned by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES) that was conducted between 1999 and 2004, nearly 17 percent of workers in the U.S. indicated experiencing hazardous noise in the workspace, with noise-induced hearing loss accounting for nearly 11 percent of all occupational diseases (Feder et al., 2017). Heavy manufacturing industries have also been accused of exposing employees to ergonomic hazards and, thus, predisposing them to musculoskeletal injuries, especially back-related disorders.

Therefore, in this particular paper, my intention is to design a noise evaluation plan, conduct a situational analysis of my workplace (a paper manufacturing plant) to determine if a hearing program needs to be implemented, as well as explain the elements that need to be assessed to make a decision. I will also propose a plan to reduce the exposure of employees to noise, explain how to assess the workspace for ergonomic hazards (that expose workers to musculoskeletal back-related conditions), and craft a program to lower some of the back injuries in the plant.

Noise Level Evaluation Plan

Determining the loudness of the noise produced in the manufacturing plant requires that two major noise measurement aspects are considered: time of exposure and the decibel (dB) or sound pressure level. Typically sound is measured in decibels (which are units of sound pressure) that were first proposed by Graham Alexander Bell. Usually, decibels are measured on an algorithmic scale, and a slight change in the decibel level often represents a significant increase or decrease in the noise levels, as well as the likely damage to an individual’s hearing resulting from the sound. Typically, at the top end of human hearing, loud sounds can cause pain, which occurs at pressures approximately 10 million times above the threshold of human hearing (Morata, Byrne, & Rabinowitz, 2011).

Therefore, this means that if a manufacturer produces higher decibels, the period of exposure should be shorter. The recommended decibel limit and time duration that has been set by OSHA is 90 decibels for eight hours a day. Any increase by 5 decibels beyond the 90 mark requires a reduction in exposure time by 50 percent.

Situational Analysis for a Potential Implementation of a Hearing Protection Program and the Factors that Must be Considered

The following factors should be put into consideration to determine whether a hearing protection program should be implemented or not:

Noise decibel levels – checking whether or not the noise is above the levels recommended by OSHA (90 dB). Noise levels can also be examined by checking whether it is louder than that of nearby busy city traffic.

Time of exposure – examining how long workers are exposed to noise frequencies.

Monitoring if employees have to raise their voices to speak to their colleagues at 3 feet (one meter) away.

At the end of the shifts, employees have to raise the volumes of their TV or radio to a point that others consider too loud.

Monitoring for hearing losses by examining whether long-term workers (those who have stayed with the company for longer periods) find it difficult to communicate with others in a crowd or noisy environment, especially where there are many other voices or sounds.

Based on these factors, it is apparent that the noise in my workplace is louder than the recommended limits and, therefore, there is a need to implement a hearing protection program. We simply cannot communicate with each other effectively while standing 3 feet away from each other. Several company employees also report experiencing hearing problems at home, and others have completely lost their hearing abilities.

A plan to lower the Exposure of Employees to Noise

Based on the recommendations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2018), an effective protection plan to shield workers from the risks of exposure to harmful noise frequencies in the workplace should follow the following guidelines:

Use of noise controls – this includes installing equipment that can primarily absorb or deflect the high noises produced by the conveyor belts and presses. For example, this sound-producing equipment can be contained and sealed off in acoustical blanket enclosures. Seal off

Use of engineering controls – this entails implementing machinery or equipment modifications and changes or replacing parts of the machines that produce loud sounds. Integrating new technologies, such as creating new sound-proof conveyor belt systems, can also lower noise (Suter, 2012).

Administrative controls – these are operational changes that will likely limit the time of exposure of employees to hazardous sounds. For instance, the company’s management can decide to run the noisiest machinery at night when employees are few, create quieter sections of the plant that workers can use to relax, and introduce machinery or section time-restrictions for workers considered most at risk.

Use of protective gear – this entails giving workers ear protective gear, such as ear muffs and plugs, to protect workers from exposure to dangerous noise levels.

Assessing the Workplace for Ergonomics (Musculoskeletal Back-related Disorders)

The most appropriate way of assessing the workspace for potential ergonomic hazards, especially back-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs

), is to check for potential signs/symptoms associated with back MSDs, such as widespread pain in the back muscles, back stiffness and aches, fatigue, muscle twitching, bending and movement difficulty, and so on. The best approach to this is checking employee reports of pains and aches or assignments requiring repetitive forceful pressures (CDC, 2020). Also, to determine the risk of exposure to back-related MSDs, it is important to evaluate the workplace’s processes and workflows, including the presence of repetitive tasks and so on.

Back Injury Reduction Plan

Similar to the sound protection program, the most appropriate and efficient measures that can significantly reduce back-related MSDs should focus on engineering controls, personal protective equipment, as well as administrative controls/organizational controls.

Engineering controls – jobs should be designed by making equipment engineering adjustments that consider the limitations and abilities of employees. For instance, materials and tools should be situated within short-reaching distances and height-adjustable workbenches should be provided to reduce incidences of muscle strains in line of duty (CDC, 2020).

Organizational/administrative controls – these are practices and policies that lower the risk of MSDs, such as rescheduling more rests and breaks to allow workers to recover.

Use of PPEs – this entails giving employees personal protective gear, such as gumboots, aprons, masks, gloves, soundproof earplugs, and so on.

Training – providing training services on standard practices and efficient use of equipment can also lower the risk of MSDs.

References

Feder, K., et al. (2017). Prevalence of hazardous occupational noise exposure, hearing loss, and hearing protection usage among a representative sample of working Canadians. Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine, 59(1), 92-113. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000920

Morata, T. C., Byrne, D. C., & Rabinowitz, P. M. (2011). Section III.21: Noise exposure and hearing disorders. In Levy, B.S., Wegman, D. H., Baron, S. L., & Sokas, R. K. (Eds.). Section I.2: Recognizing and preventing occupational and environmental disease and injury. In Occupational and environmental health: Recognizing and preventing disease and injury (6th ed., pp. 461-475). New York: Oxford University Press.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2018). Workplace safety and health topics: Noise and hearing loss prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/

Sliwinska-Kowalska, M., & Davis, A. (2012). Noise-induced hearing loss. Noise & Health, 14(61), 274-80.

Suter, A. H. (2012). Engineering controls for occupational noise exposure: The best way to save hearing. Sound and Vibration, 46(1), 24-32.

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PHYSICAL AND EMERGING HAZARDS
In this SLP, you will be a health and safety manager in a company that has a manufacturing facility with multiple occupational hazards. This setting could be a place where you currently work, one that you may be familiar with, or one that you just find interesting.

Evaluating Occupational Hazards- Addressing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Back Injuries in a Manufacturing Setting

In your walkthroughs through the facility, you notice that many employees have hearing aids. You also notice that it is hard for people to hear each other because of constantly pounding presses and constantly running conveyor belts. Heavy equipment, cranes, and forklifts are constantly operating in the factory as well. Another concern to address is back injuries in this facility. Many are losing work days due to back injury. Although they routinely perform tasks involving heavy physical labor, during the construction period, you decide to do a study to address noise exposure and back-related ergonomics in this facility:

Design a plan to evaluate the noise levels workers are exposed to in this facility.
Examine the situation to decide if a hearing protection program should be implemented and explain the elements that need to be determined to make a determination.
Design a plan to reduce workers’ exposure to noise produced by equipment in this facility, particularly the presses and conveyor belts.
How would you go about assessing the workplace for ergonomics for musculoskeletal disorders, specifically back-related disorders?
Design a program to reduce these back injuries in your workers.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Use information from your module readings/articles as well as appropriate research to support your paper.