Water Well Journal
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/715953
There are no empirical or theoretically derived equations available that can predict the reduction in noise of an earplug and earmuff combination with sufficient accuracy to be use- ful. As a rule of thumb, the OSHA procedure of computing the dual protection to add 5 dB to the NRR of the more protective of the two devices is a reasonable approximation. Summary Noise is frequently present above the allowable exposure limits at construction and general industry worksites— that includes well drilling operations. Noise can have both hearing-related and non-hearing-related health effects. That being the case, preventing excessive exposure to noise is the only way to preserve your hearing. Exposure monitoring can assess exposures to noise. If exposure moni- toring results indicate noise levels are above allowable levels, noise control strategies such as practical engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE should be employed. Bottom line: There is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss. WWJ SAFETY from page 49 Learn Safety in NGWA Webinar Columnist Jerome Spear, CSP, CIH, will lead a one-hour webinar on January 19, 2017 titled "OSHA's New Final Rule on Crystalline Silica" at 12 p.m. ET. Another Safety Matters columnist, Gary Ganson, CSP, CIH, will lead a one-hour webinar on "How to Conduct an Incident Investigation" on November 3 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET. Find out more about both sessions at www.NGWA .org/Events-Education. Jerome E. Spear, CSP, CIH, is president of J.E. Spear Consulting and has more than 22 years of experience helping organizations prevent injuries and illnesses, control losses, and achieve regulatory compliance. He held the positions of technical services manager with XL Specialty Risk Con- sulting and corporate industrial hygiene manager for Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., a worldwide steel fabricator and construction company. waterwelljournal.com 50 September 2016 WWJ DACUM Codes To help meet your professional needs, this column covers skills and competencies found in DACUM charts for drillers and pump installers. DO refers to the drilling chart and PI represents the pumps chart. The letter and number immediately following is the skill on the chart covered by the column. This column covers: DOD-4, DOD-5, DOK-9, PIB-2, PIE-2, PIE-3, PIG-3 More information on DACUM and the charts are available at www.NGWA.org.