Quieting your construction site

Everyone knows construction sites are noisy. What is not commonly known is that thousands of construction workers in this country are destroying their hearing or are already hearing impaired because of their work. In addition to the negative impact on an individual worker's health and quality of life, hearing loss is a definite liability on the jobsite because communication is vital to jobsite safety. The good news is that construction sites can be made quieter.



Here are some potential remedies: Use a quieter process. (For example, pile driving is very loud; boring is a much quieter way to do the same work.) Consider purchasing new equipment--which is generally much quieter than old equipment--or retrofit old equipment. Isolate noisy equipment, either by placing it as far away as possible from workers and the general public or by building temporary, sound-absorbing barriers/enclosures around it. When it is not feasible to otherwise reduce noise to a safe level, provide workers with hearing protectors such as ear plugs or muffs. Additionally, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends hearing loss prevention programs for all workplaces with hazardous levels of noise. For more information, visit OSHA's Noise and Hearing Conservation and NIOSH's Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention Web pages. Additionally, NUCA members have access to the Toolbox Talk "Hearing Protection," which is available in both English and Spanish. (The pictured poster can be purchased from the online publications catalog of the Laborers' Health & Safety Fund of North America.)

Source: The NUCA Report