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Regulatory Information
Best Communication Practices to People with Disabilities
Under Title II of the ADA, all state and local governments are required to take steps to ensure that their communications with people with disabilities are as effective as communications with others. The ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments includes a chapter on General Effective Communication Requirements Under Title II of the ADA.
Recordkeeping
Clarification on baseline revision for individual ears
Meaning and
enforceability of letters of interpretation;
OSHA (2005). Interpretation
letter dated 9/9/05 from Richard E. Fairfax,
Director, Directorate of Enforcement Programs to Laurie Wells.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Rule on Occupational Hearing Loss Recordkeeping
OSHA issues final
rule for recording occupational hearing loss. The new
OSHA form for recording work-related injuries and illnesses
is now available. Look at OSHA's hearing loss recordability
Decision
Tree
Clarification on timeframe for 30-day retests; clarification
on line-outs; applicability of 1904.10 to construction industry.
OSHA (2004). Interpretation
letter dated 3/4/04 from Frank Frodyma, Acting Director,
Directorate of Evaluation
and Analysis to Carl O. Sall, CIH.
Baseline audiogram must be revised separately for each
ear separately.
OSHA (2003).
Interpretation letter dated 5/8/03 from Richard E. Fairfax,
Director, Directorate of Enforcement Programs to Linda Ballas.
 Multiple
retests allowed within 30 days if employee's annual audiogram
shows a Standard Threshold Shift (STS). OSHA (2003).
Interpretation
letter dated 8/14/03 from Richard E. Fairfax, Director,
Directorate of Enforcement Programs to Joan E. Piosa.
Clarification regarding determining work-relatedness
of injuries/illnesses (including hearing loss) in regard to
settlement terms of NAM v. Chao lawsuit; OSHA agrees to update
its training materials accordingly. OSHA (2002).
Interpretation
letter dated 11/19/02 from Frank Frodyma, Acting Director,
Directorate of Evaluation and Analysis and Joseph Woodward,
Esq.,Associate Solicitor for the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration to Baruch Fellner, Esq., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
LLP.
OSHA General Recordkeeping Letters of Interpretation
Includes several letters on such general topics as recording
criteria for cases involving workers from a temporary help service,
employee leasing service, or personnel supply service; posting
requirements; and employee access rights to OSHA 300 Log and
OSHA 300-A summary forms.
http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/RKinterpretations.html
Standards
Mine Safety and Health Administration Information on
Hearing Conservation
MSHA has a webpage with a number
of useful documents on occupational noise exposure in mines.
New OSHA e-tool on noise and hearing conservation
View eTool
Occupational Safety and Health Administration Information
on Hearing Conservation
The OSHA website provides
a variety of information on hearing conservation requirements.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Information on Hearing Loss Prevention
The
NIOSH
website has
a large amount of information on hearing loss prevention. This
information includes conference proceedings, best practices,
and the NIOSH recommended standard for occupational
noise exposure. Other NIOSH resources include:
European Standards
View
an overview of European Union noise regulation activity.
In February 2003, the European Parliament and the Council
of the European Union passed Directive 2003/10/EC on the minimum
health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers
to the risks arising from physical agents (noise). This
directive specifies exposure limit values and exposure action
values for occupational noise exposure. Read
a summary of Directive 2003-10/EC.
The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union enacted another
piece of noise-related legislation in May 2000, Directive 2000/14/EC on
the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission
in the environment by equipment for use outdoors. This directive establishes
labeling and emission requirements for various types of outdoor machinery, including
lawnmowers and a variety of construction equipment. Read
a summary of Directive 2000/14/EC.
Learn more about the European Agency for Safety
and Health at Work's new campaign called "Stop
that noise! Noise at work – it can cost you more than your
hearing."
The EASHW has also just released a report summarizing noise exposures and related health effects in the member nations of the EU.
Australian Standards
Western Australia Worksafe has published excellent codes of practice on
managing occupational noise exposures and controlling noise in the
workplace.
US Department of Defense
The US Department of Defense has a separate
hearing conservation regulation covering the armed forces.
A new report has
been released by the Institute of Medicine which reviews noise-induced
hearing loss and tinnitus associated with military service.
A new hearing conservation toolbox has also been
developed for DoD hearing conservation professionals.
US Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration recently issued an updated
occupational noise exposure standard for US railroad workers.
Other Standards
Visit a list of noise regulations from around
the world maintained at the University of Washington, with links
to the text of many of these regulations
from around the world.
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