Program monitoring

To ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the hearing conservation program, it is essential to carry out regular reviews, at least once a year, and to trigger additional reviews when an event alters the program parameters.

Actions to take :

• Establish a review schedule. Schedule a follow-up calendar, and include all items to be evaluated.
• Identify trigger events: installation of new equipment, process changes, space reorganization, etc.
• Document findings. Keep annual reports and ensure traceability of changes made.

A visual inspection of the workplace can detect obvious signs of equipment failure, malfunction or wear, as well as checking the condition of the hearing protection used.

Actions to be taken :

• Observe the equipment and check its integrity and proper operation (absence of excessive vibrations, damaged parts, etc.).
• Identify any repairs or improvements required. Track priorities and document required interventions.
• Validate the presence of signs or markings indicating noisy areas where hearing protection must be worn.
• Monitor the use of hearing protection. Visually check that workers are wearing their hearing protectors in high-risk areas.
• Detect tampering with controls. Ensure that technical or administrative noise reduction measures already in place have not been altered to the point of reducing their effectiveness.

Workers are often the first to notice changes in noise levels, or the ineffectiveness of certain measures. Consulting them directly can provide essential information.

Actions to take :

• Gather observations on noise levels. Ask whether workers have noticed an increase or variation in noise, and whether there are any particular difficulties.
• Identify faults. Ask if they can identify the history of malfunctions or failures in the controls put in place to control noise.
• Assess the psychological and functional comfort of hearing protectors. Check whether they interfere with other personal protective equipment or the ability to communicate. Ensure that hearing protectors are well tolerated and properly used.
• Validate training. Confirm that workers have received sufficient training on noise, hearing loss and the meaning of their hearing screening results.

Surveys of noise levels and noise exposure using sonometry and dosimetry should be carried out when major changes occur, or at regular intervals.

Actions to be taken :

• Compare with initial requirements. Use the same methods as for the initial assessment to ensure consistency of results.
• Document findings. Include the results of recent measurements in the annual report and decide whether further measurements are required.
• Schedule additional measurements in the following cases:
  • Visual inspection reveals anomalies.
  • New equipment is installed or old equipment is removed.
  • The structure or layout of the facility is modified, e.g. by new walls or relocation of equipment.
• Update risk assessments. Adjust noise exposure calculations if work organization has been modified.

Noise exposure usually affects hearing in the high frequencies, i.e. between 3000 and 6000 Hz, equally in both ears, especially on the 4000 Hz frequency. The image below represents typical audiogram findings of hearing loss caused by noise exposure in the workplace, where a notch is visible at the 4000 Hz frequency in both ears.

Monitoring the results of hearing screenings therefore remains an essential indicator of the effectiveness of the hearing loss prevention program. However, as the results must be compared with data from previous examinations, using them alone remains a late method of preventing hearing loss.

Actions to be taken :

• Build up a database. Centralize and analyze hearing screening results over several years.
• Identify trends. Identify groups or work areas with deteriorating hearing thresholds.
• Ensure confidentiality. Protect hearing screening data, and share it only with authorized persons.
• Reinforce proactive measures. Prioritize education, training and verification of hearing protector use before, during and after hearing screening activities.

Indeed, the effectiveness of the program is not limited to audiometric tests, but is also assessed by proactive indicators.

To ensure a clear understanding of workers' roles and responsibilities, it is crucial to regularly distribute simple questionnaires that assess their knowledge of risks and their perception of noise. The responses obtained should be analyzed to identify training gaps or recurring concerns, enabling training to be adapted by targeting the weaknesses highlighted.

In addition, spot checks in the field, such as observing the use of hearing protection and measuring their attenuation, are essential to assess the actual effectiveness of the program. These checks help to detect any problems in use at an early stage.

Finally, the active involvement of workers is essential to the success of the hearing conservation program. This means including them in the decision-making process, by soliciting their ideas for improving the layout or choosing the protectors, and encouraging shared responsibility, by stressing the role of each individual in protecting his or her own hearing and that of others.

Effective management of a hearing loss prevention program relies on a series of regular, proactive measures including visual checks, exchanges with workers, noise measurements, field checks and finally data analysis. By maintaining accurate documentation and rapidly implementing the necessary improvements, employers can significantly reduce the risk of hearing loss.

A dynamic, constantly-adjusted hearing loss prevention program will reduce the incidence of occupational hearing loss in your workplace!