CAOHC Study Guide With Complete Solution

NIHL (Noise Induced Hearing Loss) - Answer 22 - 28 million US workers exposed to harmful levels of noise. Manufacturing accounts for most . Noise exposure - Answer major cause of tinnitus. Tinnitus - Answer is usually a high pitched sound that person hears, others usually cannot hear. Major warning sign of NIHL. What are the auditory effects of noise (NIHL)? - Answer - hearing loss, high freq, usually bilateral, 1st seen at 3kHz-6kHz - tinnitus - communication interference, backgound noise in loud room, causes difficulty hearing - damage to Inner Ear/COCHLEA, permanent and progressive. What are the non-auditory effects of noise? - Answer - effects job performance - irritability - trouble sleeping - concentration - increased BP & pulse. What are the lasting effects of NIHL (noise induced hearing loss) - Answer Lasting effects of NIHL: High frequency hrg loss/damage to the Inner Ear- Cochlea. Usually has tinnitus, has difficulty understanding speech especially in noisy situations, social withdrawal, depression, effect on private life. At which level(s) does NIHL (noise induced hearing loss) first appear? - Answer - appears somewhere between 3kHz and 6kHz - you see a Noise "notch" on the audiogram and with further exposure - the notch deepens and widens because it progresses. What is seen on an audiogram between 3kHz and 6kHz that gets deeper and wider as it progresses due to further exposure? - Answer noise "notch" What is CAOHC? - Answer Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation formed in the mid 1960's. What is CAOHC PRIMARY role? - Answer - provides resources/guidance/training to OHCs (Occupational Health Conservationist) - facilitates practice of hearing loss prevention through standardized training - provides training to CDs and PSs. Which organizations or disciplines are on the CAOHC council? - Answer CAOHC consists of 2 Reps from each organization; -There are 9 organizations: 1. American Academy of Otolarygology-Head and Neck Surgery 2. American Academy of Audiology; 3. American Association of OHNs; 4. American Coll. of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; 5. American Industrial Hygiene; 6. American Society of Safety Engineers; 7. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; 8. Institute of Noise Control Engineering; 9. Military Audiology Association Role of OHC - Answer -can do audiometric pure tone air conduction only Role of Audiologist - Answer Role of Nurse - Answer Role of Physician/Audologist - Answer - serves as PS - must supervise audio monitoring of HCP - can also be the HCP Mgr but does not have to be Role of Safety Engineer - Answer Role of IH (Industrial Hearing) - Answer Role of Management - Answer What is the Hearing Conservation Law/Amendment - Answer The Regulation is CFR 1910.95. NIOSH (National Institute of Safety and Health) - Answer - determines BEST PRACTICE with no consideration to cost OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - Answer - writes regulations - enforces & issues citation - considers economic impact to companies OHC (Occupational Health Conservationist) - Answer - must follow the most STRINGENT standard of the Hearing Conservation Law - According to OSHA, takes care of RECORDKEEPING What is PEL? - Answer - any sound above 90 dBA 8 hour TWA - needs HP (Hearing Protection) What is the Action Level? - Answer - 85dBA or greater 8 hour TWA - requires employer to start HCP and make HPDs available. What is the Exchange Rate - Answer - 5dB US - 3dB Europe and some professional groups Hearing Conservation Amendment - Answer The Regulation is CFR 1910.95. When does HCP (Hearing Conservation Plan) begin? - Answer - if you cannot engineer noise out down below AL - if exposure is 8 hr-TWA at 85dBA or greater What are the elements of a HCP (Hearing Conservation Plan) ? - Answer - Noise measurement, noise control - audiometric monitoring, - HPDs (Hearing Protection Devices) - Worker training - Recordkeeping - Program Evaluation dBC scale - Answer - more linear and - used for determinations of NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) and - used for determinations of community noise What is a PS (Program Supervisor) - Answer - An Audiologist/Physician - supervises audio monitoring of HCP (Hearing Conservation Program) - can also be the HCP Mgr but does not have to be