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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

William E. Daniell, MD MPH¹, John G. Stebbins, BA CSP², and Donald J. Lofgren, MPH CIH². (1) Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Box 357234, Seattle, WA 98195-7234, 206-685-3160, bdaniell@u.washington.edu, (2) WISHA Services, Department of Labor & Industries, Box 44630, Olympia, WA 98504-4630

Background: Construction workers face substantial risk of occupational hearing loss, but federal hearing conservation regulations do not extend to construction. In Washington State, the construction industry has been subject to the same hearing conservation regulations as general industry since 1984. Washington State OSHA (WISHA), prompted by high rates of workers' compensation claims for hearing loss in road construction, began a special "noise" inspection program in June 2004 targeting that industry.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data routinely coded in WISHA inspection databases, for 73 companies with "noise in road construction" inspections: highway construction, n=21; sewer and utilities, n=15; excavation and heavy construction, n=8; and related industries, n=29. Additional details were available for most companies, using a program-specific form completed by inspectors.

Results: Most inspected companies (n=42/73) received ≥1 noise-related citation. Most citations involved noise monitoring (79%), audiometric testing (52%), training (38%), or hearing protectors (26%). Conversely, at 38 companies with documented noise overexposures (and a completed inspection form), many companies routinely conducted annual training (47%) and audiometry (32%), provided two types of protectors (87%), actively ensured protector use (47%), or made all these efforts (21%).

Conclusions: Hearing conservation programs were incomplete at most of the inspected companies, in spite of longstanding applicable requirements. Nonetheless, the extent of regulatory compliance in a sizable percentage of companies illustrates the feasibility of hearing conservation regulations in construction.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe common shortcomings in practices at construction companies covered by hearing conservation regulations.
• Discuss the feasibility of hearing conservation programs in construction.

Keywords: Hearing Protection, OSHA

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation