Final answer:
To control hazardous noise, employers must follow OSHA regulations that include informing employees of noise hazards, using engineering controls to reduce noise, and providing personal protective equipment. The most effective noise control method is engineering controls that reduce the sound at the source.
Step-by-step explanation:
To control hazardous noise in the workplace, employers and Human Resources Management (HRM) are legally required to follow specific steps mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Initially, they must provide a safe workplace by proactively finding and correcting noise hazards, and consider engineering controls to eliminate or reduce noise at the source. Examples include maintaining machinery to prevent excessive noise, installing sound barriers, or using quieter machinery.
Employers must:
- Inform workers about the noise hazards through training, labels, alarms, color-coded systems, and other methods.
- Provide safety training in a language and vocabulary that workers can understand.
- Keep accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses.
- Perform workplace tests like air sampling as required by OSHA standards.
- Provide personal protective equipment such as earplugs at no cost to workers.
- Conduct hearing exams or other medical tests as required by OSHA.
- Post OSHA citations and injury and illness summary data where workers can see them.
- Notify OSHA within specified timelines of any serious workplace incidents.
- Display the official OSHA Job Safety and Health poster.
The most effective noise control method is often to address the problem at its source through engineering controls. These modifications are designed to reduce the sound before it reaches the worker and can be more effective than relying solely on personal protective equipment.