Normally, when we think about occupational health and safety hazards associated with the funeral industry, we focus on exposures to hazardous chemicals, bloodborne pathogens, and ergonomic stressors. However, noise can also be a hazard in some funeral homes, especially those with older-model crematories and/or cremains processors, loud prep room exhaust ventilation systems, and funeral homes that have employees who perform lawn care activities (e.g. using a lawn mower or weed whacker).
Why is it important to protect employees’ from exposure to noise? Because exposure to high levels of noise can cause permanent hearing loss that cannot be corrected by surgery or the use of hearing aids. Studies have shown that loud noise can also reduce work productivity, contribute to workplace accidents, and even contribute to heart disease in employees who are regularly exposed to excessive noise. Hearing loss usually occurs gradually, so employees may not realize it is happening until it is too late. Hearing loss limits employees’ ability to hear high frequencies and understand speech, and it reduces the ability to communicate which can lead to social isolation.
So, how do you know if hearing protection is needed for employees who operate noisy pieces of equipment? You could rent a sound level meter to obtain a decibel level reading and compare it to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for noise which is an eight-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) of 90 decibels as measured on an A-weighted decibel scale (90 dBA). Or, you could simply use what commonly referred to as the “Three Foot Rule:” if you are standing three feet away from someone (or arm’s length away) and you have to raise your voice to talk to be heard because of background noise, you are probably in an area where the sound level is 85 dBA or greater.
The good news for funeral homes with noisy equipment is that employees who are exposed to high levels of noise are generally not exposed to this noise for long periods of time. Crematory operators, for example, may be exposed for 15 minutes or so after they start the cremation process, but then they leave the crematory and return to quieter work areas. So, it is not likely that funeral home workers are exposed at or above the 90 dBA PEL as an average over an 8-hour work shift. Nevertheless, OSHA recommends that employers provide – and that employees use – hearing protective devices any time an exposure meets or exceed 85 dBA.
There are many, many kinds and styles of hearing protection available: roll-down foam plugs, re-useable plastic plugs, canal caps, ear muffs, etc. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the important thing to remember is that the best hearing protective device is the one that your employees will actually wear! So, let your employees try out different styles of ear plugs and/or muffs and let them help decide what devices to purchase.
Remember: Damage to employees’ hearing can be prevented, but once permanent noise-induced hearing loss occurs, it cannot be cured or reversed.