Hearing Conservation in Construction

Resolved that NAHB urge the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to rely on the existing construction industry noise standard to minimize hearing loss in workers instead of creating new requirements. However, in the event that a new standard is developed, NAHB urges that in this process, OSHA recognizes the differences between residential and general construction so that the regulation:

1. Only includes those specific residential construction activities that have been proven to pose a high risk of injuring hearing.
2. Allows the use of actual, historical or objective (i.e. industry-derived) noise exposure monitoring data to identify high noise level risks and tasks.
3. Minimizes paperwork and recordkeeping requirements.
4. Eliminates the need to conduct site-specific noise monitoring and individual hearing tests.
5. Effectively prevents construction-related hearing loss while being as cost-effective and reasonable as possible for employers.

Committee with primary jurisdiction:

• Construction Safety and Health Committee