For 25 years, noise-related hearing loss has been one of the most prevalent occupational health concerns for Americans. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been working along with the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) to help combat this growing problem. In this bulletin is information that businesses owners and employees should be aware of about workers safety.

What is Occupational Noise?

Occupational Noise is more than just a workplace nuisance. It is an issue of environmental safety and health for not only workers but a business’s bottom line. OSHA regulations state that the permissible exposure limit for a worker is 90 decibels for 8 hours. Anymore time spent in this environment can lead to some temporary or permanent hearing loss. For each increase of 5 decibels the length of time spent around a noise polluting machine needs to be cut in half.