|
 Printer-Friendly Version
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 693-4667
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is issuing new health
standards to protect miners from hearing loss associated with prolonged
exposure to damaging levels of noise. Hearing loss is one of the major health
problems miners face.
"We saw that some 36,000 miners now on the job were at risk of hearing
loss if they were not protected," Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman said.
"With the new rules, as many as two-thirds of new cases can be prevented." The
Mine Safety and Health Administration is part of the Labor Department.
The new MSHA noise rules for the first time require mine operators to
enroll miners in a hearing protection program if they are exposed to an average
sound level of 85 decibels (85 dBA) or more over an eight-hour period. The
program will include training, hearing tests and providing protectors such as
ear plugs. Training will cover the dangers of noise exposure, the benefits of
using protectors and how to use them. Use of hearing protectors at that noise
level will be voluntary, as will the hearing tests. But mine operators must
offer miners the protectors and the testing.
The exposure limit allowed in the work environment remains unchanged at
90dBA over an eight-hour period. Where feasible engineering and administrative
controls cannot reduce the noise in the working environment to the exposure
limit, the rule requires hearing protection. The new standards provide uniform
requirements to protect coal miners as well as metal and nonmetal miners.
"Physicians and hearing specialists recognize that workers' hearing is
adversely affected by noise exposures at or over 85 dBA," said Davitt McAteer,
assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "We recognize that
this rule will not prevent all cases of hearing loss. We also understand that
in some circumstances it is not now technologically or economically feasible to
reduce noise levels to 90 dBA. But we plan to work with the mining community in
the years ahead to develop new technologies for lowering miners' exposure to
hazardous noise."
Mine operators are invited to request an MSHA noise evaluation of their
operations before the effective date of the new noise rules, McAteer said.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has
identified noise-induced hearing loss as one of the 10 leading work-related
diseases and injuries in mining. Hearing loss can cause safety problems in the
workplace as well as diminish the quality of life. The loudness and the
duration of noise exposure are both factors in causing hearing loss.
MSHA's new noise standards require mine operators to monitor workplace
noise exposure and provide for miners and their representatives to observe the
monitoring. The standards establish several levels requiring mine operators to
take action:
- --Miners exposed to an average sound level of 85 decibels (85 dBA) or
more over an eight-hour period must be enrolled in a hearing protection
program, which will include special training, hearing tests and hearing
protection.
- --If workplace noise levels reach 90 dBA or more over an eight-hour
period, mine operators must use feasible engineering and administrative
controls to reduce noise levels. Hearing protectors are required to be provided
and worn if the permissible exposure level cannot be achieved using feasible
engineering and administrative controls.
- --At workplace noise levels of 105 dBA or more over an eight-hour
period, mine operators must ensure the use of both ear plug and earmuff type
hearing protectors.
- --At no time during the work shift may noise levels exceed 115
dBA.
Before issuing new noise standards, MSHA requested comments from the
public. The agency reviewed the182 written and electronic comments received and
the comments of 57 speakers at public hearings on its proposed noise rule.
MSHA's new noise standards will appear in the Federal Register next
Monday and will take effect on Sept. 13, 2000.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
| 
