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Workplace Safety, Noise & Workers Compensation Insurance

Posted by David Ross on Mon, Apr 11, 2016

Noise-related workers compensation insurance claims: contact us for assistance. Serving Philadelphia, Allentown, Lehigh Valley, Lancaster, York, Lebanon, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Erie, PA and beyond with quality, affordable workers compensation insurance protection.Hearing loss may be a compensable work injury leading to increased workers compensation insurance costs. Taking steps to reduce the risk of hearing loss is easier than you might think.

Loud noises in the workplace can damage your employees’ hearing. It’s estimated that 22 million workers are exposed to potentially hazardous noise levels at work. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers should not be exposed to noise at a level that amounts to more than 85 decibels for 8 hours. In an effort to create a safer workplace by reducing noise levels, NIOSH suggests an approach that implements controls based on a hierarchy of effectiveness.

Control Workers Comp Premiums by Adopting the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls

Occupational health and safety professionals apply the following actions, listed from most effective to least effective, to reduce or remove a noise hazard:

  1. Elimination: Physically remove the hazard
  2. Substitution: Replace the hazard
  3. Engineering Controls: Isolate workers from the hazard
  4. Administrative Controls: Change the way employees work
  5. Personal Protective Equipment: Protect workers with special clothing and equipment

Low-Noise Tools

Purchasing low-noise tools and machinery, reducing vibration where possible, providing barriers to isolate workers or loud equipment, and maintaining machinery with proper lubrication are effective methods for reducing noise in the workplace.

In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers in general industry to maintain a hearing conservation program whenever noise exposure meets or exceeds the eight hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels. Baseline and annual audiograms, employee training, and hearing protection must all be included in the program.

But even with controls and programs in place to eliminate or reduce noise hazard on the job, some employees will experience work-related hearing loss resulting in a compensable work injury resulting in a workers compensation insurance claim.

Hearing loss may be a compensable work injury

The Workers’ Compensation Act provides for benefits for loss of hearing related to exposure to noise while at work, and it’s estimated that $242 million is spent annually on workers’ compensation for hearing loss disabilities.

While most states recognize hearing loss as compensable, the specifics of the law may vary (for instance, in some states the employee must have hearing loss of at least ten percent in both ears in order to be entitled to benefits). The employee must be evaluated by a physician who specializes in hearing problems to determine the percentage of hearing loss, and the worker must show that there was exposure to hazardous noise in the workplace.

The difficulty for any workers’ compensation adjuster will be determining what portion of hearing loss is work-related and what part of the loss is age-related or is due to non-work related activities (shooting a gun for sport or using a chainsaw on weekends). Another issue that the adjuster may face is finding a previous audiogram from which to compare the present test to get a true measure of hearing loss.

Protect your business against hearing loss claims

There are steps that employers can take to eliminate or reduce the size of a hearing loss workers comp claim, and in the process lower your long-term workers compensation insurance costs:

  • New employees who will be exposed to excessive noise should have an audiogram completed as part their hiring requirements. This will provide the baseline for any future hearing loss claim.
  • Do a risk assessment by having the decibel level of your plant checked. Any noise level above 85 decibels can then be addressed.
  • If a worker is constantly exposed to tools and machinery that reach more than 85 decibels, an audiogram should be completed annually.
  • The mandatory use of hearing protection (earplugs or earmuffs) should apply to all employees who work in areas of excessive noise.
  • All employees should be provided with safety materials that address the importance of hearing protection at work and in non-work related activities that create high noise levels.

Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses. Safeguard your workers and minimize the costs to your business by effecting and maintaining these essential controls and programs.

Workers Comp Questions? Contact Us!

To learn more about Workers Compensation Insurance, contact us online or call (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

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