1. A press area of a plant has six 400-ton presses in operation 24 hours a day,

Question

1. A press area of a plant has six 400-ton presses in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Personal monitoring using noise dosimeters has shown that 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposures range from 92.0 dBA to 94.5 dBA. Using OSHA's Hierarchy of Controls, write a hazard scenario using the information above that summarizes your approach to reducing the risks associated with the hazard. Indicate which type of hazard control you will use, and describe exactly how it will be used to control the hazard. Your response must be at least 200 words in length.

Explanation / Answer

OSHA's Hierarchy of Controls, listed form most to least effective is elimination or substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. The noise generated from the 400-ton presses is above OSHA's exposure limit but removing or replacing the presses would be expensive and impractical. Engineering controls can possibly be implemented depending of the actual work process involved. If employees don't have to personally place materials into the presses then noise reducing barriers can be positioned around the presses to reduce the noise level before it reaches the employees. If applying engineering controls is not possible then administrative controls may be effective. Employees that work near the presses can rotate in and out of the area and take frequent breaks to reduce their total exposure time to a point under OSHA's personal exposure limit. Additionally, employees working near the presses should be educated on the risks associated with overexposure to loud noises and provided with personal ear protection which should protect them from the dangerous noise levels. Management should also provide training on the proper use of the newly provided equipment. The use of personal protective equipment should be strictly enforced by management to ensure adequate protection.

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