Noise Exposure

Oxide

New Member
Hey everyone,

So, i just got a job as an unloader about a month ago. I was wondering if anyone knows about the OSHA standards for noise exposure. I went to OSHA's site and the wording is a bit hard to understand...but it seems that the max one can be exposed to is 85 dB. How loud is that, and do you think its common place for it to reach this level when unloading a feeder? A couple of days ago i left with a hum in my ears so im a bit concerned. I meant to talk to my safety guy, but i keep forgetting because we are so busy.



-thanks,
Chris
 

Griff

Well-Known Member
Re: Nose exposure

Don't have any answers for the OP. This thread made me think about several drivers in my building who wear green earplugs. I have no idea why you would need those for being a driver, anyone here wear the earplugs? Always meant to ask one of them wju, but it always slips my mind when I'm talking to them.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
Hi Oxide,
Welcome to the Brown Cafe, good thread topic. (I fixed your typo, I think you meant noise instead of nose!)

I think that those conveyor belts and other Hub noises do damage your hearing. I worked eight years in a Hub before I became a driver. I have noticed that music sounds better to me if I increase the Treble setting on sound systems, especially like in my personal vehicle. I don't know what OSHA thinks, but it would be interesting to know about how many decibels we are exposed to at work. If you are a driver sitting behind a diesel engine, I wonder what long term exposure and breathing diesel fumes do to us too. Ear plugs in a Hub might be a good idea, as long as you can still hear certain things.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
I wonder if any noise complainers have their I-Pods up loud with rap music blasting on their off hours.....no offense, just curious. That's where the real hearing damage will come from.

I've been beside cars with open windows and actually feel the bass from their music's beat.
 

Cementups

Box Monkey
I wonder if any noise complainers have their I-Pods up loud with rap music blasting on their off hours.....no offense, just curious. That's where the real hearing damage will come from.

as far as driver's it is illegal to have earplugs in your ear. You have to be able to hear your surroundings. There must be exceptions to this though since I have a friend who is deaf and is legal to drive. I am sure UPS would frown greatly upon you wearing an iPod or any such device while working in or out of one of their facilties.

If you are worried about the noise so much then buy yourself a box of earplugs. they aren't that expensive. I used to have to drive and P1000 about 30 minutes to my area. After the 2nd day I started asking for earplugs from the mechanics and they were more than happy to accomodate my needs.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
"...and they were more than happy to accomodate my needs."

Easier to hand you the earplugs then have to actually fix the truck....
 

smf0605

Well-Known Member
Hi Oxide,
Welcome to the Brown Cafe, good thread topic. (I fixed your typo, I think you meant noise instead of nose!)

I think that those conveyor belts and other Hub noises do damage your hearing. I worked eight years in a Hub before I became a driver. I have noticed that music sounds better to me if I increase the Treble setting on sound systems, especially like in my personal vehicle. I don't know what OSHA thinks, but it would be interesting to know about how many decibels we are exposed to at work. If you are a driver sitting behind a diesel engine, I wonder what long term exposure and breathing diesel fumes do to us too. Ear plugs in a Hub might be a good idea, as long as you can still hear certain things.
 

smf0605

Well-Known Member
It would have been nice if I had included my message.

Ear plugs in a hub are not a good idea. From a safety stand - you have to be able to hear the buzzers and alarms.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
It would have been nice if I had included my message.

Ear plugs in a hub are not a good idea. From a safety stand - you have to be able to hear the buzzers and alarms.

Buzzers and alarms are the "certain things" I was referring to. It would be ideal to be able to block out certain sounds but still hear the ones that are important to working safely.
 

Cementups

Box Monkey
Alot of the earplugs lock out "noise" but you can still hear things liek normal conversation. You just have to get hte right ones. It's hard for me to exlain what I mean but if you get it, they are available.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Unless OSHA decible limits have changed in the last 8-10 years you don't have a case. We had Osha run tests and as much as it seemed to everyone that both the building scene and inside the package car scene were too noisy the tests came back in favor of UPS. By the way the people that requested the tests were the same ones that could be found on weekends standing in front of the 6 foot tall speakers at a rock concert.:biggrin:
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
"....the tests came back in favor of UPS."


Hmmm..... wonder how that could have happened?

Could it be because OSHA is a UPS subsidiary?
 

John19841

Well-Known Member
are you talking about the ones with the folding wood shelves?

No, not that old lol...

Just not the new ones, they're pretty quiet when you close the doors. But anything made in the '80's. You get them up above 70 and not only do some of them get pretty scary (I've felt all kinds of weird vibrations) but they can get really loud. And, when you're passing an 18 wheeler (Or, should I say when the truck is passing you :glare:) the noise can get deafening
 

beatupbrown

Well-Known Member
I can guarantee you get damage to your ears from the inside building or most packages cars after years of exposure to the noise. My ears ring 24 hours day because of it the damage done form the noise of the loud inside belts then the old motors of package cars screaming next to you for 10 hours a day.:scared:
 

Big Babooba

Well-Known Member
BE WARNED!!! :scared:A lot of people in our building have suffered hearing damage in the past 2 weeks, the result of working near somebody who suffered from EYFS. Exploding Yankee Fan Syndrome occurs when a Yankee fan (who are never at a loss for words) suddenly clams up. They build up pressure, unable to vent it, until they explode with a deafening KA-BOOM!!! This first started after Cleveland defeated them and has been compounded by the Red Sox's sweep of Colorado. Use caution and wear hearing protection when working around a Yankee fan whoisn't talking. I learned the hard way, my ears are still ringing after 5 days. By the way,from what I've been told, a simular and much more common problem is occuring in Colorado - ERFS. Exploding Rocky Fan Syndrome is more prevelant because of the thinner air in Colorado. They just don't have to build up as much pressure before they blow.:lol::lol:
 
Top