Occupational Noise Exposure
Noise in Construction
The references on this page provide information related to noise in construction including OSHA's noise construction standards, national consensus standards and recommendations from other professional organizations, health effects and general resources.
OSHA Standards
Noise hazards, including requirements for engineering and administrative controls, as well as hearing conservation programs, are addressed in OSHA standards for construction. This section highlights OSHA standards and documents related to noise in construction. For information on recordkeeping and general industry standards, see the general industry standards section.
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Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926) |
Related Information |
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|---|---|---|
| Subpart D – Occupational Health and Environmental Controls | 1926.52, Occupational noise exposure | |
| Subpart E – Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | 1926.101, Hearing protection | |
Hearing Conservation Programs
In the construction industry, a continuing, effective, hearing conservation program must be administered when exposures exceed 90 dBA-TWA (see 1926.52(d)(1)).
State Plan Standards
There are 29 OSHA-approved State Plans, operating state-wide occupational safety and health programs. State Plans are required to have standards and enforcement programs that are at least as effective as OSHA's and may have different or more stringent requirements.
National Consensus Standards and Recommendations from Other Professional Organizations
Note: These are NOT OSHA standards or regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection from noise.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
- ANSI/ASSP A10.46-2020, Hearing Loss Prevention for Construction and Demolition Workers. This standard applies to all construction and demolition workers with potential noise exposures (continuous, intermittent and impulse) of 85 dBA and above.
Prevention and Protection
- Protecting Yourself from Noise in Construction - Pocket Guide. OSHA Publication 3498, (2011).
- Preventing Hearing Loss. The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR). Promotes hearing protection in the construction industry, including training and other resources.
- Construction Statistics – Noise and Hearing Loss. NIOSH. Hearing loss trends and statistics among construction workers.
- Suter, Alice H. "Construction Noise: Exposure, Effects, and the Potential for Remediation; A Review and Analysis." American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 63:768–789(2002). Reports that the highest percentages of overexposed workers in the construction industry occur in highway and street construction, carpentry, and concrete work. Of the approximately 5 million construction workers in 1995, the total number exposed to noise levels of 85 dBA and above was about 754,000.
- Occupational Noise & Hearing Conservation – Training booklets. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington. Includes links to a series of PDFs on hearing loss prevention in the construction industry.