Page 151 - IGC BOOK

1. HML (High, Medium, Low) values
2. SNR (Single number rating) values
3. Octave band mean attenuation and the standard deviation

In summary, personal protective equipment (hearing protection) should be the last choice
because:

• It is not effective if not worn correctly or is not maintained adequately
• It needs constant management attention to ensure its use.

• It may introduce secondary risks (failure to hear alarms, instructions, vehicles).

Health Surveillance

Appropriate health surveillance should be conducted for all workers whose noise exposures
reach a certain level prescribed by national laws and regulations or by national or internationally
recognized standards above which health surveillance should be carried out.

Workers’ health surveillance may include:

• Pre-employment or pre-assignment medical examination.
• To determine any contraindication to exposure to noise.
• detect any sensitivity to noise.
• To establish a baseline, record useful for later
medical surveillance.
• Periodical medical examinations at regular
intervals.
• To detect the first symptoms of occupational
disease.
• To detect the appearance of any unusual sensitivity
to noise and signs of stress due to noisy working
conditions.
• medical examinations prior to resumption of work
after a period of extended sickness or in case of
conditions as may be specified in national legislation or internationally recognized standards.
• medical examinations performed on cessation of employment to provide a general picture of
the eventual effects of exposure to noise

• supplementary and special medical examinations when an abnormality is found, and it
requires further investigation

The results of the medical examinations and of supplementary examinations and tests, such as
audiometric testing, of everyone should be recorded in a confidential medical file. The worker
should be informed of these results and their significance accordingly.

ENSIGN | Unit IG2 – Element 5 – Physical and Psychological 11
Health