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Quieter tools and machines lead to decreased hearing loss among the workers who use them.  So why aren’t companies “buying quiet”? Read more about the challenges in this area and what NIOSH is doing to make it easier to “buy quiet”.  Join the discussion on the NIOSH Science Blog.

 Workers at call and dispatch centers may suffer hearing damage as a result of high noise level exposures through their headsets. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released recommendations to help workers deal with this problem.

According to NIOSH, call and dispatch center workers face:
• Acoustic trauma from sudden spikes in noise levels, such as feedback into a headset.
• Background noise from incoming calls, and
• Background noise from other workers and equipment, such as air-conditioners or heating systems.

NIOSH says many workers face exposure to noise levels between four and 18 decibels (dB) higher than the recommended exposure limit of 85 decibels, A-weighted, over an eight-hour average.

Many call center/dispatch workers interviewed by NIOSH reported ringing in their ears, headaches, irritability, increased tension and fatigue as a result of frequent exposure to loud sounds.

Workers who experience tinnitus (ear ringing), a dulled sense of hearing or fullness in their ears after a shift should speak to their supervisor and ask for advice.

NIOSH also recommends that workers:
• Avoid setting the volume control beyond the midpoint.
• Ask to try different headsets with improved protection or noise-canceling features.
• Clean and maintain their headsets periodically and replace them when they notice damage or decreased performance.
• Take advantage of breaks in quiet areas whenever possible.
• Ask co-workers to use lower volumes on sound-generating devices.

Read NIOSH document here:

The warning confirms problems that are well known — students aren’t well aware of OSH degree programs, for example — and highlights funding cuts felt by academic programs that do not receive NIOSH funding.
•         Oct 24, 2011
A new report from NIOSH predicts that the national demand for occupational safety and health services will far exceed the number of professionals with the necessary training, education, and experience to provide them. The conclusion is based on a national survey.
While employers plan to hire at least 25,000 OSH professionals in the next five years, only about 12,000 new graduates are expected from the academic programs that fill the need. According to NIOSH, these hiring estimates include new or replacement positions.

“Robust businesses are essential for U.S. economic recovery and growth and, in turn, safe and healthy workplaces are a vital ingredient of any successful business plan,” said NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard. “The results of this NIOSH-commissioned survey suggest a troubling shortfall of professional expertise at a time when such services are most needed. NIOSH will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to identify and pursue ways to meet this critical training need for the 21st Century. The need for an adequate supply of trained professionals is particularly great, as we anticipate that growing numbers of older professionals will retire over the next decade and as new technologies continue to enter the workplace requiring specialized skills and knowledge. For more than 40 years, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, NIOSH has provided fundamental support for the academic programs that provide such training.”
 
NIOSH commissioned the survey in 2008 from Westsat, an independent research firm that designed and conducted it. The agency said the survey found that:
•  Degree programs in occupational safety and health have experienced declines in funding from university, college, and department sources, especially among programs that do not receive NIOSH funding.
•  Students who might be interested in an occupational safety and health degree face inadequate or limited financial aid and a lack of knowledge about these degree programs.
•  While employers generally are satisfied with OSH professionals’ level of training in their specific work areas, they would like new graduates to have training in additional relevant areas, including leadership and communication.

The report, titled “National Assessment of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce,” is posted on the NIOSH website at www.cdc.gov/niosh/oshworkforce/ and printed copies will be available later this year.