Hearing

Throughout the month of May, Actsafe will be providing information and resources to raise awareness of hearing hazards and responsibilities on sets and stages throughout the province.

THE BASICS: What You Need to Know to Prevent Hearing Loss

Workers in British Columbia are entitled to an annual hearing test if they may or will be exposed to noise above exposure limits. Due to the mobile nature of our industries, Actsafe offers free hearing tests. Call Reliable Mobile Hearing at: 604.596.8414 to arrange for group testing on your production site, or to make an appointment at their office.
It is the responsibility of all supervisors to comply with the Regulations. In addition, you have three main responsibilities. Download our hearing brochure to learn more.
Employees need hearing protection when sound levels exceed 85 dB. Download one our Sound Levels poster to compare sound levels and check the averages in your line of work.
Employers have five main responsibilities to protect workers from work-related hearing loss. If workers will or may be exposed to sound levels above 85 dB, regulations say the emloyer must establish a hearing program. Download our brochure to find out more.

Carpenters – Ever wonder how much noise you’re exposed to at work?
We’ve got a flyer just for you.

Paint shops – If you work near a construction shop, you may need hearing protection.
Download our flyer and distribute it at work.

Metal shops – Curious about average sound levels in your industry?
Download a flyer and share it.

DEPARTMENT POSTERS
Earplugs only work if you put them in properly.
Download this poster for step-by-step instructions or email us for a printed supply.

Sound energy doubles every 3 dB.
Download this poster to compare levels for common sounds in our industries.

Books & Manuals

Hearing Testing

Under an agreement with Reliable Mobile Hearing Testing, Actsafe has agreed to fund the testing of motion picture workers.

This pamphlet includes a list of “At Risk” occupations as well as information on sound-exposure limits, sound levels, hearing protection and how to get free hearing testing.

Download PDF

Listen While You Work: Hearing Conservation for the Arts

Got ears? If you do, then listen up. Your ears are much more than a convenient place to stick piercings. Think of your ears as workers — after all, they’re on the job collecting sound information and sending it to your brain, 24 hours a day. If you don’t treat them right, those little aural workers might just go on strike — permanently. So what can you do about it?

Reduce your exposure to sound. If you can’t avoid loud environments, use hearing protection.

Some people consider hearing protection an annoying hindrance. Earplugs and earmuffs are often considered unprofessional-looking or even unnecessary. But consider this: Sound-induced hearing loss is irreversible. That means permanent, possibly career-ending. The question of whether or not hearing protection looks unprofessional won’t matter much if you’re no longer able to work.

This manual will tell you a lot about the risks you face — on the job and off — and what you can do to conserve your hearing. Whether or not you like what you hear, this manual will help ensure that you will hear, and continue to hear in the years to come.

Download PDF

Sound Advice: Hearing Conservation Programs

Noise is a serious and widespread problem in many workplaces. Over time, if noise from machinery, processes, and equipment is too loud, it can cause permanent hearing loss in workers. But if employers, supervisors, workers, and the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of B.C. work together to control noise exposure, occupational hearing loss can be prevented.

The most effective way to control noise exposure — and protect workers’ hearing — is to implement a hearing conservation program. Such a program is required whenever noise is above regulated limits.

This guide explains what is required of a hearing conservation program that benefits both workers and employers. An effective hearing conservation program can prevent noise-induced hearing loss. This guide does not replace the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. It complements the Regulation and is a tool to help workplaces operate safely. Note that when you see the word must, it means that a particular requirement is enforced under WCB Regulation.

This guide provides general information on implementing a hearing conservation program. Be aware that some program requirements — such as measuring noise and noise control — need specialized technical knowledge, and have to be undertaken by qualified people.

Download PDF

Infosheets

Active Noise Control Communication Headsets for the Entertainment Industry

Is your current communication headset not working out for you? Do you find yourself raising the volume on your headset in order to hear the person with whom you are trying to communicate? Then, perhaps you will find this report useful. It describes active noise control and how it is currently being used in headsets to reduce the ambient noise from your surroundings, enabling you to lower the volume on your headset, reducing your noise exposure from your ambient surroundings and from the headset itself, and lowering your risk for developing noise-induced hearing loss. By the end of this report, you should understand the principle behind active noise control and how it is being employed in communication headsets. You will then be able to make an informed decision, based on your type of noise exposure, about whether an active noise control headset is right for you, and which type might be best for your work situation.

Download PDF

Prepared by SOEH

Noise and Hearing Loss in Musicians

Actsafe asked the University of British Columbia to help investigate several questions related to the noise-related health and safety of musicians and other workers potentially exposed to loud music that fall under their mandate. These questions were:

1. How much noise are musicians exposed to?
a. How do we define noise?
b. What kinds of regulations are there for the noise at music venues?
c. How loud are music venues?

2. Hearing loss in musicians: Is there a problem?
a. How well do classical musicians hear?
b. What about rock musicians?
c. What about other people who work around music, like bar and club staff?
d. What factors can increase the risk of noise-induced hearing loss in musicians?

3. What do we recommend that musicians and other entertainment professionals do to protect their hearing?
a. Changes to the environment or behaviours
b. Hearing protection devices

A comprehensive literature search was performed using several scientific literature databases, and the references of gathered articles were also searched by hand for completeness. Please refer to Appendix 1 for further details about the search methodology. Appendix 2 contains tabular information on all of the papers that were reviewed, and includes Table 1 (Epidemiology), Table 2 (Exposure Assessment), Table 3 (Disorders Other Than Noise-Induced Hearing Loss), Table 4 (Controls and Preventive Measures), and Table 5 (Papers not used for this review, but may be of interest to the reader).

Download PDF

Prepared by SOEH

Treatments for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

This literature review was undertaken to review the status of research on available treatments for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) on behalf of Safety & Health in Arts Production and Entertainment (Actsafe). This review focuses on the studies that have exhibited a positive effect on NIHL in humans and that have been published since 1985.

Download PDF

Prepared by SOEH