Noise is one of the most common workplace hazards. Workers in many industries and occupations in Canada are exposed to noise levels that are so high that their hearing can be damaged.
Sometimes the noise may not even be considered to be noise — such as the very loud music to which entertainers and food and beverage servers are exposed in bars and nightclubs. If the sound is loud enough and workers are exposed to it for long enough, their hearing will be damaged.
According to NIOSH:
Fortunately, work-related hearing loss is preventable. Employers in Canada are responsible for minimizing the noise hazard at their workplaces and must comply with provincial Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation. This article describes what employers and workers can do to prevent work related noise induced hearing loss according to hearing protection legislation and the CSA guidelines.
Hazardous noise is all around us at work, at play or just walking down the street. Hazardous noise begins at 85dBA (decibels) and exposure to continuous noise over 85dBA will damage your hearing over time. If protective measures are not taken, your hearing will debilitate to a point that you will not be able to communicate.
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