Audiology
Hearing
Workplace Safety Guidelines from OSHA
Noise exposure can have a cumulative effect, where hearing damage can occur over months, years, and decades. To help protect people in the workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set guidelines (see chart below) for the maximum length of time workers can be exposed to continuous sound levels before damage occurs.
When sound is greater than 85 dB, OSHA requires the individual worker to use hearing protectors to reduce the level of noise exposure in an attempt to prevent noise damage. As you can see from the chart below, the louder the sound, the greater the risk and the shorter the time an individual is permitted to work in that noisy environment, even while wearing hearing protectors.
| OSHA Guidelines |
|
Sound Level |
Duration Per Day |
90 dB |
8 hours |
91.5 dB |
6 hours |
93 dB |
4 hours |
94.5 dB |
3 hours |
96 dB |
2 hours |
97.5 dB |
1 1/2 hours |
99 dB |
1 hour |
102 dB |
1/2 hour |
105 dB |
1/4 hour or less |
105+ dB |
extreme risk |