HIGH LEVEL NOISE
DEAFENING
? B.C. WORKERS

By VIRGINIA TUPPER, M.Sc.
j Manager, Noise Control Section
Prevention Services, WCB

One in every six B.C. workers is
exposed to noise levels sufficiently
high to cause permanent hearing dam-
age. That was the conclusion following a
six-month investigation into B.C. noise
control priorities conducted by the WCB
Prevention Services Engineering Section in
1979.

The hearing loss claims picture is equally
striking: approximately 1,300 new claims
are established each year at a cost of about
$3,000,000 to industry.

High level noise is primarily of concern
because it produces permanent hearing
damage. This damage occurs slowly and
may go unnoticed at first but the loss is
irreversible. The social consequences of
occupational deafness are readily apparent.
Prevention is the only solution.

To date, the majority of employers have
relied on hearing protection devices rather
than engineering controls to reduce noise
exposure. Workers may feel that wearing
hearing protection eliminates all possibility
of hearing loss, when in fact it may not. In
order to be effective, the protector must be of
the appropriate class for the noise environ-
ment, it must create an effective seal against

WCB NOISE CONTROL SECTION — Back Row: Stuart Eaton, Acoustical Engineer; Dan Lyzun, Acoustical Engineer; Peter
Smieciuch, Noise Control Officer; Ken Sterling, Noise Control Officer. Middle Row: Pat Austin, Secretary; Arlene Higgs,
Noise Control Officer; Steve Brown, Noise Control Officer; John Stevenson, Noise Control! Officer; Virginia Tupper,
Manager. Front Row: (Kneeling) John Pendry, Noise Control Officer; Tom Lauritzen, Noise Control Officer.

noise and it must be worn for the total
exposure time. In addition, adequate
hygiene must be maintained to prevent ear
infections. The wearing of hearing protec-
tion is intended to protect workers in situa-
tions where optimum engineering controls
have not yet been applied.

Those concerns have led the Board to
establish a new Noise Control Section
within the Prevention Services Division. Its
primary objective is to promote the control
of noise by engineering means.

The section will consist of seven noise
control officers and two acoustical engi-
neers managed by WCB audiologist Virgi-
nia Tupper.

The goal of noise control will be
approached in two ways: the first will be
through greater emphasis on enforcement
of noise control regulations. The second will
be with educational presentations on noise
control in specific industries and the estab-
lishment of a technical resource file of
successful noise control applications.

The revised WCB Industrial Health and
Safety Regulations (effective October 1,
1979) require employers to institute engi-
neering controls wherever workers are
exposed to noise levels in excess of 90 dBA
for an eight-hour day. Section 13.21(8) lists
permissible exposure time at each noise
level and provides a formula for calculating
the daily noise “dose” for workers exposed
to varying levels throughout their shift.
Until engineering controls are achieved,
Section 13.21(2) requires that all persons
exposed to excessive noise levels shall be
provided with and shall wear adequate
hearing protection devices in accordance
with Appendix M of the revised regulations.

In order to comply with those regulations,
employers should first consider noise levels
at the design stage for new construction or
for modifications to existing facilities. The
Noise Control Section can provide a list of
private acoustical consultants who have
specific expertise in that area.

Noise levels should also be specified when
ordering new equipment. Due to similar

noise legislation in the United States and
Europe, manufacturers are beginning to
produce quieter equipment or to offer noise
control measures as an option. Technology
has developed rapidly to achieve noise
control in industries where it was previously
thought impossible. It is also now techno-
logically possible to retrofit older, noisy
equipment.

It is the employer’s responsibility to
identify workers who are over-exposed to
noise and to develop a time-phased com-
pliance plan for reducing noise exposure to
permissible levels. Already several forest
product companies in the province are
initiating or preparing such plans. Employ-
ers with a large number of employees
exposed to excessive noise may be required
to submit their compliance plans to the
Noise Control Section.

Priority industries for noise control have
been selected on the basis of noise level,
number of workers exposed and hearing loss
claims data. Beginning in September of this
year, those industries will systematically be
inspected by noise control officers. The
acoustical engineers will be involved in
reviewing compliance plans, meeting with
company engineers and conducting educa-
tional presentations.

The Engineering Section of Prevention
Services has assembled an information
package on the design of planer enclosures
and similar material is being prepared on
other machine and operator enclosures.
Copies of such material can be obtained
through the Films and Posters Section, 5255
Heather Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z3L8.

The Engineering Section has a represen-
tative on a National Research Council
committee working to promote noise control
at the manufacturing level and representa-
tives on several Canadian Standards Asso-
ciation committees concerned with occupa-
tional deafness.

In the past, either in accordance with the
regulations or on their own initiative, many
employers have instituted engineering
controls to reduce noise. Those efforts are to
be commended; much progress was made in
the 1970’s. In addition, many union organi-
zations have been active in promoting
hearing conservation for their members
through encouraging engineering controls,
annual audiometric tests and the wearing of
hearing protection devices. In many instan-
ces substantial reductions in noise levels
have been achieved, some of which will be
highlighted in future issues of the WCB
Health and Safety Digest.

As of the end of July, 1980, the Noise
Control Section and senior representatives
from the Inspection Department, i.e. Direc-
tor of Inspection, Mr. Rick Knowlan and
Assistant Director, Mr. Ted Newell, have
contacted senior management representa-
tives in the ten largest firms in the forest
products industry. The purpose of these
meetings is to outline the objectives and the
operations plan for the Noise Control Sec-
tion and the advantages to be obtained by
the establishment of a noise control policy
statement and compliance plan in major
operations.

Excessive noise is recognized internation-
ally as the most pervasive of all industrial
hygiene hazards. To combat it, technology
and legislation are developing rapidly. It
appears that a concerted effort now between
the Board, union and management repre-
sentatives stands a higher chance of success

than ever before of achieving the goal of 90
dBA.

It is improper for any member of the
Safety Committee representing the
Union membership, to bypass the Local
Union and resort to any outside agency
without first having the consent of the
presiding Local Union Officer.

Lumber Worker/August, 1980/3