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Hearing Conservation

The Industrial Hygiene Program (IHP) provides services to limit exposure to noise which could cause hearing loss. These include monitoring exposure, recommending hearing protection where needed, and recommending engineering controls to limit noise where feasible.

Exposure Determination/Monitoring

At your request, a team member from the Industrial Hygiene Program (IHP) will measure the noise exposure at your work location using a sound level meter and/or a noise dosimeter.  If you have to shout to communicate with someone from a distance of three feet or less, there is likely hazardous noise in the area.

Noise Reduction

Noise reduction can be achieved through a variety of means including:

  • Removing or replacing noisy equipment
  • Repairing noisy equipment
  • Noise source enclosure or worker enclosure
  • Acoustical treatments

Create a Service Request to repair noisy equipment.

Administrative Control

Noise exposure can be reduced through the reduction of time exposed, worker rotation, training, and area signage. Worker rotation is valuable for reducing noise exposure but often requires cross-training.

Annual training is offered by IHP to employees who are known to conduct work in noisy environments where noise may meet or exceed 82 dBA.  The training covers the effects of noise on hearing, proper methods to wear hearing protection, hearing protection options, and the purpose of audiometric testing.

Anyone who works in a laboratory or other space that they believe may be dangerously noisy, please contact EHS for a noise assessment of the space.

If you work in an administrative unit (i.e., Department of Facilities, Division of Comparative Medicine) the training will be required through Training Groups and is administered by your department.

Hearing Protection

Earplugs and earmuffs are the most common forms of hearing protection. You are free to decide which type of hearing protection you prefer. Please contact the EHS Office if you would like an evaluation of the need to wear hearing protection and correct the selection of hearing protection devices. EHS is also able to determine goodness of fit with certain hearing protection devices.

MIT requires all employees who are exposed to a time-weighted average of 82 dBA  or greater for an 8-hour day wear hearing protection that is provided at no cost to the employee. Various samples of earmuffs and earplugs are available to test in the Industrial Hygiene Program and may be purchased through the purchasing office. If you would like direction on ways to control noise with existing, new, or future equipment, contact our office for feasible engineering controls.

Fitting Foam Ear Plugs Video

(Produced by Tom Ouimet, Yale University, Environment Health and Safety Office).

Audiometric Testing

MIT employees whose exposure is known to exceed the 82 dBA threshold are enrolled in the hearing conservation program and are given the opportunity for an annual audiogram provided free of cost by MIT. If you are not enrolled in the hearing conservation program and have reason to believe that you should be, please contact the MIT EHS Industrial Hygiene Program to schedule an evaluation.

Documents

The following document is a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) outlining MIT EHS’ Hearing Conservation Program. MIT certificate login is required to view the SOP and it is also located under Forms/SOPs (keyword search: hearing, noise, sound, audiogram).

Who To Contact

The Industrial Hygiene Program
Building N52-496
265 Mass. Ave
Cambridge MA 02139-4307
Phone (617) 452-3477

Exposure Determination/Monitoring

At your request, a team member from the Industrial Hygiene Program (IHP) will measure the noise exposure at your work location using a sound level meter and/or a noise dosimeter.  If you have to shout to communicate with someone from a distance of three feet or less, there is likely hazardous noise in the area.

Noise Reduction

Noise reduction can be achieved through a variety of means including:

  • Removing or replacing noisy equipment
  • Repairing noisy equipment
  • Noise source enclosure or worker enclosure
  • Acoustical treatments

Create a Service Request to repair noisy equipment.

Administrative Control

Noise exposure can be reduced through the reduction of time exposed, worker rotation, training, and area signage. Worker rotation is valuable for reducing noise exposure but often requires cross-training.

Annual training is offered by IHP to employees who are known to conduct work in noisy environments where noise may meet or exceed 82 dBA.  The training covers the effects of noise on hearing, proper methods to wear hearing protection, hearing protection options, and the purpose of audiometric testing.

Anyone who works in a laboratory or other space that they believe may be dangerously noisy, please contact EHS for a noise assessment of the space.

If you work in an administrative unit (i.e., Department of Facilities, Division of Comparative Medicine) the training will be required through Training Groups and is administered by your department.

Hearing Protection

Earplugs and earmuffs are the most common forms of hearing protection. You are free to decide which type of hearing protection you prefer. Please contact the EHS Office if you would like an evaluation of the need to wear hearing protection and correct the selection of hearing protection devices. EHS is also able to determine goodness of fit with certain hearing protection devices.

MIT requires all employees who are exposed to a time-weighted average of 82 dBA  or greater for an 8-hour day wear hearing protection that is provided at no cost to the employee. Various samples of earmuffs and earplugs are available to test in the Industrial Hygiene Program and may be purchased through the purchasing office. If you would like direction on ways to control noise with existing, new, or future equipment, contact our office for feasible engineering controls.

Fitting Foam Ear Plugs Video

(Produced by Tom Ouimet, Yale University, Environment Health and Safety Office).

Audiometric Testing

MIT employees whose exposure is known to exceed the 82 dBA threshold are enrolled in the hearing conservation program and are given the opportunity for an annual audiogram provided free of cost by MIT. If you are not enrolled in the hearing conservation program and have reason to believe that you should be, please contact the MIT EHS Industrial Hygiene Program to schedule an evaluation.

Documents

The following document is a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) outlining MIT EHS’ Hearing Conservation Program. MIT certificate login is required to view the SOP and it is also located under Forms/SOPs (keyword search: hearing, noise, sound, audiogram).

Who To Contact

The Industrial Hygiene Program
Building N52-496
265 Mass. Ave
Cambridge MA 02139-4307
Phone (617) 452-3477