The Green Light

Hearing Protection: Does It Really Do the Job?

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:19:48 +0000

We talk a lot about hearing loss on the job, but are we hearing the right ways to stop it? It’s a big worry for companies. In fact, it’s a 242-million dollar a year worry – that’s money spent on hearing loss claims alone. It’s the most common work related injury, but it doesn’t have to be.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires companies to provide a hearing conservation program if noise levels exceed 85 decibels over an 8 hour period. The programs consist of following the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) policy in requiring hearing protection, but not all hearing protection is created equal. Issuing hearing protection, like earplugs, does not make the noise problem go away. Many hearing protection devices fail when it comes to blocking damaging noise from entering the ear – exposing workers to damaging sound.

There are three requirements that hearing protection must meet to be truly effective: hearing protection must fill the ear to obtain an acoustic seal; be comfortable enough to be worn hours at a time; and allow both warning signals and communication to be heard. Any leak, even a tiny one, can permit damaging noise to enter the ear. Achieving an acoustic seal is difficult because ear canals are like fingerprints, no two are the same. Comfort is also important because discomfort causes the user to remove hearing protection. And hearing protection must allow for communication. Blocking too much sound can leave workers unable to communicate with coworkers, hear machines or recognize warnings.

A solution that meets all three criteria for effective hearing protection is customization of the environment. Addressing the sound levels in the environment itself with effective noise control allows for clear communication and safety. Strategically targeting the problem areas in the noise environment and bringing the decibel levels down is the right answer for companies and for workers. Noise control protects worker health, promotes good safety practices and, ultimately, increases productivity.

Your Guide to Preventing Heat Stress

admin — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:05:57 +0000

What is Heat Stress?

Heat stress is the buildup of body heat generated internally by muscles or externally by the environment.

As heat increases, body temperature and heart rate rise painlessly.

Heat fatigue, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat stroke can result as the body is overwhelmed by heat.

Signs and Symptoms

There are four major forms of heat stress disorder: heat fatigue, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, with heat stroke being a life threatening condition.

Heat Fatigue occurs when your body cannot get rid of heat fast enough to cool down.

The primary sign of heat exhaustion is becoming more tired than your activity requires.

You may also develop a slight headache.
With heat fatigue you become accident prone.
You’re fatigued and not thinking clearly
You make mistakes

As soon as you recognize symptoms:

Immediately sit in a cool shaded area.
Drink water or a sports drink during the break.

Heat cramps are muscle spasms caused by heavy sweating and large body loss of salts, and water through activity. If this occurs, drink a sports drink. Heat cramps usually go away whether you do anything or not.

Signs and symptoms include:

Muscle spasms
Pain in the hands, feet, or abdomen

Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that may occur after you’ve been exposed to high temperatures and have developed dehydration.

There are two types of heat exhaustion.

Water depletion signs include:

Excessive thirst
Weakness
Headache
Loss of consciousness

Salt depletion signs include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Frequent muscle cramps
Dizziness
Diaherra
Treating heat exhaustion
Immediately rest in a cool area out of the sun
Drink more water than you feel like drinking
Remove any tight or unnecessary clothes to promote cooling
Take a cool shower or bath
Apply fans or ice towels

Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat stress.

It is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not properly and promptly treated. Immediate action must be taken to cool the body before serious injury and death occur. Competent medical help must be called immediately.

Signs and symptoms include:

The absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin
Rapid pulse
Difficulty breathing
Seizure
Treating a heat stroke victim
Notify emergency services (911)
Get the victim to a shady area
Apply cool water to the skin
Fan the victim to promote evaporation and sweating
Place ice packs under armpits and groin

Accimatization

Acclimatization is the process your body goes through to adjust to changes in temperature

If you are new to the work environment you are un-acclimatized.
If you have been away from work for more than 3 days you can lose your acclimatization.
During acclimatization your body adjusts your sweating and other heat regulating body temperature mechanisms
The acclimatization process takes about 5 to 14 days for the average person

During acclimatization you are at more risk for heat related injuries such as heat exhaustion or heat cramps.

Take extra caution during the acclimatization process to prevent such injuries

What should un-acclimatized person do?

Drink plenty of fluids
Water
Sports Drinks
Be extra cautious and aware of the symptoms of heat stress
Avoid over-working
Wear light cotton clothing

What are the benefits of Acclimatization?

More stable and better regulated heart rate and blood pressure
The same activity will take less heart activity
You will sweat more efficiently, allowing the body to cool faster, and thus easier to maintain normal body temperatures
Less risk of heat stress

Heat Stress Prevention

Various factors increase your risk to heat stress. These include:

Age – older workers have lower sweat rates and a lower cardiovascular response
Medication – Certain medications, such as high blood pressure or diet pills, may increase risk of heat stress
Obesity – Obese workers are less efficient at removing heat
Physical Fitness – Poor physically fit employees have a harder time dealing with a hot environment

Hydration

To keep up with the loss of sweat while working it is recommended:
Drink 8oz of water every 20 minutes.
That’s 1-2 bottles of water an hour.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water. Thirst is a sign of dehydration, and you’ve already become heat stressed
Hydration helps in regulating our body temperature
Staying Hydrated and preventing heat stress is a 24/7 activity
You need water all the time, not just at work
Drinking water and staying hydrated all day keeps you one step ahead of heat stress
Things that can cause dehydration
Alcoholic beverages
Caffeinated beverages
Prescription medicine
Over-the-counter medicine

Work-Rest Regimens

Why are work-rest regimens so important?

Work-rest regimens allow your body to cool and slow down periodically to recover.
The more stressful the environment the more rest is needed
Work- rest regimens are applied on an hourly basis
For example.15 minutes rest, 45 minutes work
Taking short but frequent breaks are the most beneficial
Rest in “Cooler” areas
Remember to hydrate with either water or a sports drink

PCA at Ammonia Safety Days

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:12:48 +0000

Our PCA team members attending the ASTI training session in Portland and Richland, Washington this week are reporting a great turnout and plenty of buzz around our new practice areas. Our noise control division, Dyad, is a perfect fit for reducing noise levels in processing plants and refrigeration engine rooms. There’s a lot of interest from attendees in protecting not only their hearing, but guarding against the stress of a high noise work environment. PPE just isn’t enough to protect against prolonged exposure to a high db environment. Many workers point out that they seldom wear ear protection at all. When Dyad installs noise controls, the overall threat is reduced, or even eliminated.
Many of the grocery retailers in attendance also learned about our new online chemical categorization database, Chemlists.
And as always, it was great to talk with our valued PSM clients. We want to send a special thanks out to the new companies who are joining with us to ensure the safety of their workers and the community.

Study Shows Workplace Noise Can Lead to Heart Disease

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 23:03:17 +0000

Heart disease
A study released this week connects noisy work places to heart disease in many employees. The study released by researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver shows that workplace noise can, and does have a significant impact on employee health; especially heart disease. Previously employers though occupational noise likely only lead to hearing problems; it seems they now have more problems to deal with as well.
Research shows that people exposed to consistently high levels of noise at work are up to twice as likely to develop heart disease. The data was collected from numerous sources and numerous jobs, covering almost all areas of employment. Of the employees who already reported having at least some indicators of heart disease 21 of them reported having to deal with persistent noise at work for at least a 9 month period.
According to researchers the definition of persistent noise is not music or loud talking, but rather unwanted noise that is constant. Usually something like a machine is considered to be persistent noise; especially if it is always running. Throughout the study researchers did everything they could to isolate noise as a variable; from this they were able to conclude that exposure to loud noise at work does play a role in heart disease development.
Researchers also found that smoking can also compound other risk factors for heart disease; particularly in young men. Following the release of the study the U.S. Health Board announced that they would begin working on standards to put in place regarding noise exposure for employees; this would theoretically help to lower the possibility of employees being affected by the noise. It is still too early for any speculation of what sort of restrictions or safety regulations will be mandated due to the finding of this study.

Noise Control Feasibility: Game Changer

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:33:03 +0000

It’s a move that could change the way every plant or manufacturing facility thinks about noise. OSHA has released its official interpretation of the phrase “feasible administrative or engineering controls” as part of the agency’s General Industry and Construction Occupational Noise Exposure Standards. The rule reads: “employers must use administrative or engineering controls rather than personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce noise exposures that are above acceptable levels when such controls are feasible. “The word “feasible” is the source of the conflict and the clarification from OSHA. OSHA will clarify the word by defining it as “capable of being done”. OSHA plans to revise its current enforcement policy to reflect the change. The move could force many companies to look for new noise control solutions.