Ontario Announces Lower Noise Limits

As of July 1, 2007, Ontario’s noise exposure limit for industrial workers will drop from 90 dBA for an eight-hour period to a time-weighted average of 85 dBA.

Published in the December 30, 2006 issue of the Ontario Gazette, the changes will appear as an amended section 139 of the Industrial Establishments Regulation. This marks the first significant update to noise limits since their introduction 30 years ago. The changes will include a new time-weighted averaging method that will provide a more accurate way of determining the actual amount of noise to which a worker is exposed. The current regulation does not take into account variable noise levels or impact noise.

“Inspectors will be expecting compliance with the new standards,” says Ministry of Labour spokesperson Belinda Sutton. She anticipates that “workplaces will be required to modify some of their existing practices in order to be in compliance.” To help workplaces understand their obligations, the ministry will be providing support material.

Exposure to high noise levels may cause hearing loss, create physical and psychological stress, reduce productivity, and contribute to incidents and injuries by making it hard to hear warning signals. Hearing loss can also significantly affect quality of life for workers and their families. Noise levels can vary dramatically from one workplace to another, depending on the nature of the operations, the number of machines, and the use of engineering controls to reduce noise. Combining high noise levels and exposure to certain chemicals (e.g., toluene, lead and manganese) can also damage hearing.

Silent Danger

The risk of noise-induced hearing loss is often ignored until too late because:

• hearing loss causes no pain
• workers may feel discomfort and pain from excessive noise, but not from the hearing loss
• the loss can occur gradually, so that exposed workers don’t notice until significant damage has occurred. Once damaged, hearing cannot be restored.

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) statistics show that it has paid $100 million in hearing-loss related compensation costs between 1995 and 2004.

• Ministry of Labour Guideline: Amendments to Noise Requirements In the Regulation for Industrial Establishments & Oil and Gas-Offshore
  This guideline is intended to provide information and assistance to employers in complying with the amended noise requirements in the Regulation respecting Industrial Establishments (Regulation 851, section 139) and the Regulation for Oil and Gas-Offshore (Regulation 855, section 41). These amendments were made under O.Reg 565/06 and O.Reg 566/06, and come into effect July 1, 2007.

How IAPA Can Help

• Hearing Conservation, an 8-page guideline designed to help your workplace set up a program to prevent hearing loss
• Request a consultation from IAPA’s Technical Services. IAPA occupational hygiene specialists can provide a range of related services, from conducting noise level surveys to helping you develop a comprehensive hearing conservation program.
• Attend our new Managing Noise Control & Hearing Conservation half-day workshop