Safety Minute: Hearing Health

Please use in safety meetings with attribution to:

www.eagleford.training

Disclaimer

Sound Energy

• Decibels is a logarithmic measure of the sound energy density in an area

• Increasing intensity by a factor of 10 will raise the decibel level by 10

• High levels cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus

• Sharp blasts can cause immediate damage

• Constant high levels can cause damage over time

Hearing Health

• Like back & dental health can degrade over time

• Single high noise events can cause damage

• Levels over 85 dB cause damage and require protection

• Hearing loss removes ability to hear at different pitches

• Tinnitus is a constant ringing or hiss in the ears

• Damge is both short term and permanent

• Short term hearing losses return mostly within a day of exposure

• Permanent hearing loss occurs when not all hearing returns

Hearing Protection

• Ear plugs form the first line of protection

• Ear muffs are also used

• Noise reduction rating (NRR) is the decrease in dB from hearing

protection

• NRR is at most up to 30 dB

• Noise levels over 105 dB require both earplugs and earmuffs

• Earplugs with connecting cords prevent earmuffs from working properly

High Noise Areas

• Pumps, motors, and generators

• Rigs

• Frac jobs

• Production equipment

• Trucks and traffic

• Use a calibrated sound level meter to test dB if unsure

Thank you for working safe!

• All accidents are preventable only when everyone does their part

• You are responsible for your own safety

• Doing the job right is faster than doing the job over

• Consider RigPass with Safeland orientation for all oilfield workers

Visit Eagle Ford Training to learn more in San Antonio and across Texas