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New OSHA Noise Hazard Program

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OSHA announced a new Regional Emphasis Program (REP) to identify, reduce, and eliminate hazards associated with exposures to high levels of noise. The program was announced on June 14, 2021, and is for OSHA Region V, which includes Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

  • By law, OSHA requires employers to implement a hearing conservation program when average noise exposures (over 8 working hours) are at least 85 dB. This is about as loud as a gas-powered lawn mower.
  • OSHA started with a 3-month informational phase that will include outreach activities, like training sessions, letters to employers or industry groups, and news releases through traditional and social media.
  • In September, they will begin scheduling inspections with manufacturing facilities with hearing loss rates higher than the national average. Industries with NAICS codes that start with 32 and 33 are the primary targets for this REP.

What can you do to prepare?

  • Make sure your injury and illness records (such as your OSHA 300 logs) from 2018 to the present are up to date.
  • Review your historic noise data. If you’ve had some significant facility changes since the last time a noise assessment was performed, consider reevaluating employee noise exposures.
  • If you’ve never had a noise assessment, consider developing a facility noise map to identify areas that could contribute to noise exposures at or above 85 dB.
  • If you have a hearing conservation program, confirm that all employees had an audiogram in the last 12 months.
  • Confirm that your hearing protection’s noise reduction rating (NRR) is adequate to reduce exposures.

Jacqueline "Jackie" Annis is an industrial hygienist with the Office of Partnerships and Recognition, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs in OSHA’s National Office.  Jackie’s primary responsibilities include developing and overseeing internal policies and procedures for the VPP, reviewing VPP on-site evaluation reports for process safety management information, serving as the National Office liaison for two of OSHA’s ten Regions, and facilitating the management of OSHA’s National Strategic Partnership Program.  She is an integral part of OSHA’s National Office team. 

She has served with the Agency for 36 years, including five years as a senior industrial hygienist in OSHA’s Office of Health Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs in the National Office and 17 years as a compliance safety and health officer in the Denver, CO Area Office.  Prior to her tenure at OSHA, Jackie worked as an industrial hygienist for the Department of the Navy in Alameda, California.  Jackie obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA in 1983.

Wayne Howard earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from UC Davis and has spent 12 years with Shell (at Martinez) refinery, 3 years with the consulting firm Process Safety, 15 years with Valero (at Benicia), and the last 10 years in the Corporate Process Safety Department. He is the Valero representative to AFPM's Advancing Process Safety Initiative.

Nathan Obaugh, PE is a senior engineer in the Safety and Operational Excellence Group at NuStar Energy. Nathan has over 10 years of PSM and process design experience in the petrochemical, refining and midstream industries. At NuStar, Nathan oversees all elements of the corporate PSM program and works directly on hazard analysis, process safety studies, PSM/RMP audits and provides process engineering support to the operations and capital projects groups.

Jared Teter, PhD is a senior staff scientist with a background in physics and hazards analysis. He has extensive experience in subscale testing of energetic materials and has served as program manager for several large testing and risk management projects. He has applied engineering and risk management protocols while evaluating the risk associated with propellant and explosives manufacturing, combustible dust, and other hazardous material related processes.

Tim Belitz has a degree in Environmental Health/Industrial Hygiene from Old Dominion University and a Master’s from Duke University. He has over 25 years of Industrial Health Safety and Environmental Experience and is a Certified Safety Professional. He has many years focused on Contractor Management and Process Safety programs.

Rob Walker graduated from Virginia Tech in Microbiology and Chemical Engineering. Rob has almost 35 years of experience working in the chemical plant and refining industry. His passion for Process Safety and Mechanical Integrity began very early in his career. Rob began with his current company, Honeywell, back in 2011.

Prasad Joshi has B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Chemical Engineering from two universities in India. Prasad has over 30 years’ experience in the business. He began with Honeywell in May 2022 as Principal Maintenance Engineer. He has worked internationally in Asia and Europe.