Editor's note: when it comes to preventing hearing loss in the construction industry, there's often no substitute for wearing personal protection devices like ear plugs and ear mufflers. But occupational health care research is increasingly showing that attacking the source of the problem - such as making tools quieter in the first place - is often the most effective method when it comes to preventing hearing loss.

Following is an article that addresses the issue.

By Scott Schneider
Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America
Thousands of construction workers in this country are hearing impaired, and thousands more are destroying their hearing because of their work in construction.

In response to this, the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America has started the Construction Noise Control Partnership. This partnership is committed to ending this trend of rampant hearing loss among construction workers. It is comprised of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), other trade unions, contractors, public health organizations, government agencies, equipment manufacturers, academics and others.

Everyone knows construction sites are noisy. Most construction workers have suffered a significant hearing loss after working only 15-20 years at the trade. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has found that a 35-year-old construction worker has the hearing of a 55-year-old who has not been exposed to excessive noise on the job.

Noise hurts job safety. Noise can affect safety and communications on the jobsite. Background noise from machinery can make it difficult to hear backup alarms or to relay instructions. If a worker is hearing impaired, the situation is made even worse. Communication is vital to job site safety, and effective communication requires that people are able to hear and understand one another. Not hearing a "LOOK OUT BELOW!" warning from someone can literally mean the difference between life and death for a construction worker.

Noise hurts workers and families. Noise hurts people, their families and their quality of life. After years of noise-induced hearing loss, everyday tasks can become much more difficult. Talking on the telephone, watching television and conversing with family members become sources of stress for those with hearing impairments. Hearing loss can have a major impact on the quality of life and often leads to social withdrawal.

Noise hurts neighborhoods. Noise can also affect your neighbors. More and more jurisdictions now have ordinances restricting noisy operations to daylight hours. As more highway construction is taking place at night to minimize delays for motorists, noise from construction may have to be reduced to prevent projects from being delayed.

Construction sites can be quieter. Although many in the industry believe that construction sites are inherently noisy, there are many ways in which they can be made quieter. (both for the operator and the environment)

• A quieter process can be used. For example: pile driving is very loud. Boring is a much quieter way to do the same work.
• New equipment is generally much quieter than old equipment. Some manufacturers have gone to great lengths to make their equipment quieter. Ask the manufacturers about the noise levels of their equipment, and consider these levels when making your purchase. For example, noise-reducing saw blades can reduce noise levels by 50 percent when cutting masonry blocks.
• Old equipment can be made quieter by simple retrofits, such as adding new mufflers or sound-absorbing materials. Check with the manufacturer on ways to do this. Old equipment is also much quieter when it is well maintained. Simple maintenance can reduce noise levels by as much as 50%.
• Noisy equipment should be sited as far away as possible from workers and residents. Noise levels drop quickly with distance from the source.
• Temporary barriers/enclosures (e.g., plywood with sound absorbing materials) can be built around noisy equipment. These barriers can significantly reduce noise levels and are relatively inexpensive.

The Construction Noise Control Partnership is developing a best practices guide explaining how to reduce noise on the jobsite and how to protect workers' hearing. The partnership is also developing standardized methods for measuring noise levels on jobsites in order to create a database of noise measurements.

As awareness of the impact that noise has on our industry and lives grows, we hope more will join us in the campaign for quieter construction sites. Our efforts will hopefully prevent the next generation of construction workers from suffering a hearing loss.