3M Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division

3M E-Workplace

Challenge Septmber 2010

A TECHNICAL NEWSLETTER FOR INDUSTRIAL AND EHS PROFESSIONALS

Dear Reader,

reetings to you !GWe thank you for the tremendous response to the earlier editions of the Eworkplace Challenge. This has inspired us to take this initiative further and introduce our readers and customers to latest technologies that would not only enhance the safety practices and the standards in the industry but also add to the existing processes in terms of productivity and efficiency.

As we live in a free and economically powered free India, we face challenges of economic growth and higher levels of inflation. These have led to opportunities to look at leveraging new technologies that not only enhance productivity and safety but also add value to the existing processes.

Thus, in keeping with our commitment, we feel this is the right time to speak about safe initiatives powered by innovation and cutting-edge technology.

With the Festival Season around the corner we all at 3M wish you and your family have a very Safe and prosperous Diwali. Thus this issue features an article on Hearing Conservation – a very vital aspect we tend to overlook. Why, this is of paramount importance, is because the damage done to our ears, over time and a little negligence, cannot be undone and is too precious for us to ignore.

With over four decades of 3M's global experience in Hearing Protection with unique innovative technologies, 3M India has been providing innovative solutions for hearing protection and conservation.

We once again thank you for your interest and valuable feedback.

Looking forward for continued feedback / suggestions on the newsletter

Lastly, If you do not wish to receive this newsletter please send us an email to ohesindia@mmm.com for unsubscribing.

Do also write to us with contact details and email ID's of friends,

colleagues or acquaintances whom you wish to get enrolled for receiving future editions of this technical newsletter.

Regards,

From the Technical Desk

3M Occupation Health and Environmental Safety (OH&ES) Division

Vinay Pathak

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3M E-Workplace Challenge

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3M E-Workplace Challenge

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3M E-Workplace Challenge

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3M E-Workplace Challenge

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3M E-Workplace Challenge

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Employers are challenged with the task of selecting hearing protection devices (HPDs) for each individual worker based on the noise exposure in the workplace. Even when the noise exposures are well documented, employers seldom know just how much noise reduction each worker is obtaining.To make matters worse, even when the hearing protector is fit correctly, it's ability to reduce the sound level entering the ear varies widely from one person to the next due to the unique size and configuration of every ear.The E-A-Rfit™ system is the tool that allows us to go beyond the rating on the package

! Hearing protector (HPD) ratings are poor predictors of how well HPDs fit in real world

NRR 33 dB NRR 25 dB

Noise reduction (or attenuation) ratings on packages of hearing protectors, such as the NRR, SNR, and SLC80, are intended to provide an indication of the average amount of noise reduction a group of workers might obtain when wearing a specific device. Generally, these ratings are based on the average noise reduction obtained by a small group of subjects who fit the devices as well as possible under laboratory conditions. In the workplace, such ideal conditions seldom exist and, on average, workers obtain far less noise reduction than indicated by the attenuation rating.

NRR 29 dB

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No Reliable Way to Use RatingsEven when a group of hearing protector wearers carefully follow the fitting instructions, we can't predict the noise reduction obtained by an individual worker from the average noise reduction obtained by a group of workers. That would be as inaccurate as predicting that a person will drive his car 62 miles per hour simply because, on average, that's the speed reached by a group of drivers in a test drive. Hearing protector noise reduction varies widely from one person to the next. Lowering the noise reduction rating by 50%, or any other amount, sometimes called “derating”, may lead employers to assume that all workers obtain less noise reduction in the workplace than was measured in the laboratory. While this may be true, on average, derating cannot predict how much less (or more) noise reduction each individual is likely to obtain.

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zE-A-Rfit™ Allows Individual Fit TestingThe solution is individual fit testing with the E-A-Rfit™ Validation System. E-A-Rfit™ uses a proven technique known as Field Microphone in Real Ear or F-MIRE to measure how well the hearing protector is working for each employee. Because the noise reduction provided by the hearing protector is measured directly and objectively, without the need for the employee to listen or respond to the test signals, it takes only seconds to measure the noise reduction at seven different frequencies in each ear. Once the measurement is completed, the software calculates and displays an overall performance rating for each employee, known as the Personal Attenuation Rating or PAR.

The E-A-Rfit™ System can be used in numerous ways to enhance the employer's hearing conservation program.-Worker training on the proper fitting and use of hearing protection is essential to a comprehensive hearing conservation program. Employees may learn fitting techniques more quickly and be more motivated to wear hearing protection correctly when the E-A-Rfit™ system is used to demonstrate how to improve their personal attenuation rating or PAR. -Hearing conservationists now have a tool to help them learn the most effective techniques for teaching employees to fit and wear hearing protection. The E-A-Rfit™ system provides quick, real-time feedback to the trainer as to whether or not the approach being used to train the employee is working. When employers need to know if the hearing protection worn by a given worker is being worn correctly or provides adequate noise reduction, E-A-Rfit™ provides an objective measurement to help answer those questions quickly and easily.

When an employee experiences a significant change in hearing, such as an OSHA Standard Threshold Shift or STS, the employer must verify that the hearing protector being worn is reducing noise sufficiently and re-train the employee in proper fitting and use of the device. E-A-Rfit™ helps employers follow-up in these cases and document the results.The specific model and size of hearing protector that provides the right amount of noise reduction can be quickly determined using E-A-Rfit™ to compare the PAR to the noise exposure of each worker. The E-A-Rfit™ validation system gives companies the ability to quickly audit a particular department or facility. The results can be analyzed and used to enhance or expand the hearing conservation program in that area. Finally, detailed documentation of hearing conservation activities is good business. It provides employers with a more clear record of the steps taken by the company to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. To learn more about each of these applications for the E-A-Rfit™

The solution is individual fit testing with the E-A-Rfit™ Validation System.E-A-Rfit™ uses a proven technique known as Field Microphone in Real Ear or F-MIRE to measure how well the hearing protector is working for each employee. Because the noise reduction provided by the hearing protector is measured directly and objectively, without the need for the employee to listen or respond to the test signals, it takes only seconds to measure the noise reduction at seven different frequencies in each ear. Once the measurement is completed, the software calculates and displays an overall performance rating for each employee, known as the Personal Attenuation Rating or PAR.

3M E-Workplace Challenge

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Let’s take a look at the specific hardware and software components that make up the E-A-Rfit™ Validation System from 3M.ng

E-A-Rfit™ Loudspeaker

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Dual-Element MicrophoneExternal mic openingInternal mic openingProbed earplugs

External Mic

Internal Mic

A specially designed, dual-element microphone makes it possible to measure the sound level at 2 different locations simultaneously. The external microphone measures the level of the test signal outside the ear. The internal microphone is connected to one of the specially modified E-A-R™ probed earplugs to allow measurement of the sound level inside the wearer’s ear canal while the earplug is worn.

3M E-Workplace Challenge

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At the conclusion of each visit, detailed reports are available to document the results of the fit testing session.

Personal Attenuation Rating—PARThe difference between the outside and inside microphone levels is used to calculate the Personal Attenuation Rating for each employee; the amount of noise reduction in decibels obtained by that individual with the specific model and size of hearing protector being worn. The PAR is an indication as to whether or not the standard version of that model of hearing protector, without the test probe attached, will provide sufficient attenuation for the noise exposure in the workplace.

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E-A-Rfit™ can be used to validate the fit of a wide variety of E-A-R™ brand earplugs, from roll-down foam earplugs to pre-molded and push-in style earplugs. Specially designed probed earplugs for E-A-Rfit™ testing are available for each of the earplug models shown here. In each case, the E-A-Rfit™ software compensates for the difference between the noise reduction measured using the probed earplug and the estimated noise reduction obtained when a standard E-A-R™ earplugs is worn.Classic Plus Probe and Express Pod Probed to be available March 2010

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This publication is for information purposes only. While due care has been taken during the compilation of this publication to ensure that the information is accurate to the best of 3M knowledge and belief, the content is not to be construed in any manner whatsoever as a substitute for professional advice.3M shall in no way, be liable for any direct or indirect damages that may arise due to any act or omission on the part of the user due to any reliance placed or guidance taken from any portion of this publication.The suggestions (if any) given in this article are views of the author, please refer to your Company Safety / Industrial Hygiene department and select the right eye protector for the hazard existing in your area.

Disclaimer

at

Concorde Block, UB City 24, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore - 560001 Tel : +91-80- 22231414/66595759 Fax : +91-80-22231450

3M India Limited

Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division

What E-A-Rfit customers said:“It is unfortunate for other hearing protection vendors, because this means exclusive use of 3M earplugs, but we feel this is the way to go.” – Tony Stevens, Hallmark

“We believe that E-A-Rfit will be a useful tool to objectively assess the effective use of ear plugs as well as educating our employees on selection.” - Diane Kobayashi, ConocoPhillips

“We eliminated custom molded plugs, being made by outside vendors, and now only offer employees 3M brand that match ported plugs we test with.” – Don Johnson, Ball Corp

3M E-Workplace Challenge

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