Hearing Conservation Program

The purpose of this program is to protect Cal Maritime employees from hearing loss due to occupational noise exposure. Although Cal Maritime attempts to control noise to the extent possible, certain operations may expose faculty, staff, or students to significant noise levels. All personnel who are regularly exposed to occupational noise levels at or exceeding an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 85 dBA shall be included in the Hearing Conservation Program (HCP). This applies only to employees who incur exposure as part of their regularly assigned job duties.

This program was written to comply with Cal/OSHA regulations for Hearing Conservation (CCR, Title 8, Section 5097).

The Cal Maritime Hearing Conservation Program, through the requirements described in this program, establishes procedures and responsibilities for Cal Maritime students, faculty, staff and volunteers while engaged in University related activities.

Roles/Responsibilities

Department of Safety & Risk Management (SRM)

The Cal Maritime Hearing Conservation Program is administered by SRM. SRM will function as a technical resource to departments and will assist them in carrying out their responsibilities as necessary. Specifically, SRM is responsible for:

• Developing and maintaining the Hearing Conservation Program and ensuring it meets all applicable regulatory requirements;
• Monitoring work site noise levels as requested and informing employees and supervisors of results;
• Recommending appropriate engineering and administrative noise control measures.
• Assisting employees in selection of proper protective devices and providing instruction on their use;
• Providing training on noise hazards and hearing conservation.

Department Heads and Chairs

Directors and Department Chairs are responsible for:

• Providing the necessary resources to ensure the health and safety of their employees;
• Identifying individuals as supervisors and ensuring they are trained on their health and safety responsibilities;
• Ensuring departmental compliance with campus health and safety policies and procedures;
• Ensuring hazards workplace hazards are identified and controlled.

Managers, Supervisors, and Principal Investigators

Managers, Supervisors, and Principal Investigators are responsible for:

• Ensuring their units understand and comply with the requirements of this program;
• Identifying noisy operations and controlling them to the greatest extent possible;
• Requesting SRM evaluate noisy operations that cannot be controlled;
• Providing hearing protective devices to employees and ensure that employees use such devices when appropriate;
• Ensuring employees exposed to noise levels at or above the Action Level are enrolled in the HCP;
• Posting signage in noisy areas requiring the use of hearing protection.

Employees, Students and Volunteers:

Employees, Students and Volunteers are responsible for:

• Understanding and complying with campus health and safety policies and procedures;
• Notifying their supervisor or SRM about any hazardous conditions observed on the worksite;
• Wearing approved hearing protective devices when required;
• Maintaining hearing protection in sanitary condition and proper working order;
• Reporting noise hazards and hearing protection problems to the appropriate supervisor or SRM.

Noise Reduction and Controls

Excessive noise shall be reduced or eliminated whenever possible. This shall include the implementation of engineering and/or administrative controls, when feasible. When engineering and administrative controls are not feasible, or during the evaluation and implementation of such controls, hearing protective equipment shall be used to protect employees as needed from excessive noise exposure.

Engineering Controls

Engineering controls are used to control the hazard at its source and should be implemented prior to using administrative controls whenever possible. The basic concept behind engineering controls is that, to the extent feasible, the work environment and the job itself should be designed to eliminate hazards or reduce exposure to hazards. These may include:

• Quieter machinery
• Quieter processes
• Reduction of noise transmission
• Isolation of equipment or equipment operator
• Proper maintenance of machinery and equipment
• Purchasing procedures that specify criteria for maximum noise levels

Administrative Controls

Administrative controls do not reduce or eliminate the hazard they simply reduce employee exposure to the hazard. Administrative controls may include:

• Rotation of employees to limit individual exposure times
• Flexible machinery operation schedules to limit exposures
• Work task arrangements that reduce the time an employee must spend in a noisy area

Noise Assessments and Exposure Monitoring

Noise exposure is described either in terms of an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level or a noise dose (in percent of the Permissible Exposure Limit). When employee exposure to occupational noise is equal to or exceeds an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA, or equivalently, a dose of 50 percent or greater, the employee must be included in the HCP.

Employees or their supervisors should contact SRM to schedule noise monitoring if they suspect exposures to excessive noise on the job, or if previously monitored noise levels have changed due to modifications to equipment or processes. SRM should also be contacted to schedule monitoring if the hearing protection in use is suspected of being inadequate. If desired, employees or their representatives may observe the noise monitoring procedure by arranging with SRM prior to the date of the monitoring. An employee's exposure shall be determined using the methods listed below

Noise assessments are also used to identify campus locations or operations where noise levels exceed 90 dBA. These are areas where hearing protection should always be worn. Where information indicates that employees in that area may be exposed to noise levels equal to or exceeding the action level, individual exposure monitoring shall be conducted

Exposure Monitoring

SRM performs noise exposure monitoring for faculty, staff, and students who may be exposed to noise over Cal/OSHA's 85-decibel dBA action level on an eight-hour time-weighted average basis. Personal or area exposure monitoring is conducted using a noise dosimeter to identify employees and students for inclusion in the Hearing Conservation Program and to enable the proper selection of hearing protection.

Evaluations of employee exposure are recorded via the Cal Maritime Noise Dosimetry Form. This form allows for the documentation of all necessary information including name of employee, job classification, employee number; date, location, and results of measurements; and description of the noise measurement equipment and calibration information. Persons whose noise exposures have been monitored will receive written notification of their exposure monitoring results from SRM.

Program Enrollment

Persons whose eight-hour time-weighted average noise exposure exceeds the action level must be enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program. These individuals will be required to receive audiometric testing, participate in hearing conservation training and wear hearing protection when appropriate. Persons whose eight-hour time-weighted average noise exposure is less than 85 dBA will not be enrolled in the campus Hearing Conservation Program, and generally do not require audiometric testing or training.

Examples of campus personnel who may exceed the Action Level and require enrollment in the HCP are:

• Campus Shop Workers
• Emergency Responders
• Engineering Students, Faculty and Staff
• Facilities Management Staff
• Grounds Keepers
• Housing and Residential Services Staff

In order to remain enrolled in the Cal Maritime Hearing Conservation Program individuals must be up to date on all training and audiometric test requirements. SRM will notify program enrollees and their supervisors approximately one (1) month before the person becomes due for training or audiometric testing. When an individual is three (3) or more months overdue for one or more of the enrollment requirements, SRM will notify the employee and their supervisor that the user has been unenrolled from the program, and that they shall no longer perform work activities that require enrollment in the Hearing Conservation Program.

To ensure accuracy, the audiometric test should be preceded by at least 14 hours without exposure to workplace or non-workplace noise. This will reduce the potential for the employee to be suffering from a temporary threshold shift, which would result in an incorrect evaluation of the employee's hearing threshold.  Hearing protection may be used to provide the pre-test exposure control, providing its use is well supervised.

Baseline Audiograms

Everyone enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program must undergo testing to establish a baseline audiogram and to determine the person's "hearing threshold" and against which to compare subsequent audiograms. It is desirable to obtain the baseline audiogram as soon as possible (preferably within 60 days) from the date of the employee's first exposure to high noise levels and that employees be protected from workplace noise for at least 14 hours prior to the audiometric test in order to obtain a valid measurement.

Annual Audiogram

Audiograms shall also be obtained at least annually for each employee exposed at or above the time-weighted average of 85 dBA. It is important to ensure that employees are protected from workplace noise for at least 14 hours prior to the audiometric test in order to obtain a valid measurement.

Post-Employment Audiogram

Post-employment audiograms must be completed when an employee leaves the job or workplace where he or she is no longer routinely exposed to noise level at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA. It is the responsibility of the employee and the supervisor to complete a postemployment audiogram. It is important to ensure that employees are protected from workplace noise for at least 14 hours prior to the audiometric test in order to obtain a valid measurement.

Evaluation of the Audiogram

An audiologist will evaluate audiometric test results and schedule any necessary follow-up evaluations. When medical personnel identify an employee with a significant threshold shift or a baseline audiogram showing early indications of hearing loss (i.e., an existing hearing level of 25 dB or greater between 500 and 4000 Hz, according to ANSI s3.6-1969), this information will be provided to SRM so the appropriate hearing conservation and training activities can be initiated to reduce the potential for further hearing loss. The employee will be notified of these results in writing within 30 days. He or she will be retrained on the hazards and precautions of working in noisy environments and will be issued hearing protective devices if they are determined appropriate by SRM and SOMC. Other modifications to the workplace may also be needed to reduce noise exposures to prevent additional hearing los

Significant Threshold Shifts

In the event that a significant threshold shift is detected, the employee should undergo another audiogram within 30 days of the first test to confirm the threshold shift.  If a comparison of the annual audiogram to the baseline audiogram indicates a standard threshold shift, the employee shall be informed of this fact, in writing, within 21 days of the determination.

If a physician determines that the standard threshold shift is work related or aggravated by occupational noise exposure, the following steps shall be taken when a standard threshold shift occurs:

• An employee not using hearing protectors shall be fitted with hearing protectors, trained in their use and care, and required to use them.
• An employee already using hearing protectors shall be refitted and retrained in the use of hearing protectors and provided with hearing protectors offering greater attenuation if necessary.
• Exposure monitoring shall be conducted to reassess the employee's exposure to noise.
• Refer the employee for a clinical audiological evaluation or an ontological examination, as appropriate, if additional testing is necessary or if the employer suspects that a medical pathology of the ear is caused or aggravated by the wearing of hearing protectors.
• Inform the employee of the need for an ontological examination if a medical pathology of the ear which is unrelated to the use of hearing protectors is suspected.

Signage

In all locations where noise levels are expected to exceed 90 dBA due to the operation of noisy equipment or machinery, signage must be installed to warn people that they must wear hearing protection when the noisy equipment is in use. For example, in the various pump stations across campus, signage has been installed stating, "Hearing protection must be worn when pumps are operating".  Contact SRM to coordinate the installation of signage if it is necessary in your work area.

Training

Hearing conservation training is required for all employees who are enrolled in the HCP. Additionally, information regarding the Hearing Conservation shall be available to all employees through the Cal Maritime Hearing Conservation Website, employee orientation, job training and instruction, specific training programs, or periodic safety meetings.

Hearing conservation training is required for all employees who are enrolled in the HCP and shall be repeated at least annually. Training is provided by SRM and can be customized for specific work groups. Both the employee's department and SRM shall maintain training records. Training topics shall include the following:

• The effects of noise on hearing;
• The purpose of hearing protectors, the advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation of various types, and instructions on selection, fitting, use, and care;
• The purpose of audiometric testing, and an explanation of the test procedures.
• Areas where hearing protection must be worn;
• Requirements of Cal Maritime's Hearing Conservation Program.

Exposure Monitoring

Noise exposure measurement records are maintained by SRM. Area noise exposure data are retained for a minimum of two years, and personal exposure data are retained indefinitely.

Audiometric Testing

Audiometric test results are maintained by the employee's department and should be retained for the duration of the person's employment at Cal Maritime.

Employees have the right to review records of their noise exposure data and audiometric tests. It is a common procedure that these records are made available to employees.

Training

Departments shall retain training records for at least ten years after the person has retired or left University employment. Training completed/recorded on the Learning Management System (LMS) is kept indefinitely.