NOISE: Double Trouble

Noise Harms More Than Our Ears

Noise in the Workplace

Firefighters, police officers, factory workers, farmers, construction workers, military personnel, heavy industry workers, musicians and entertainment industry professionals all work in environments that pose noise risks. Even office staff employed in crowded office buildings with phones ringing and the constant hum of computers, air conditioners and fans are faced with the annoyance and increased stress noise creates. Noise in the workplace is bothersome. Beyond that, it can pose a safety risky by reducing concentration and increasing worker injuries, and repeated exposure to high levels of noise in the workplace can cause permanent hearing loss. In fact, it is predicted that one in four workers exposed to high levels of noise in the workplace will develop such a hearing loss. OSHA has developed safety guidelines indicating the time a worker can be exposed to various levels of sound.  To avoid noise-induced hearing loss, OSHA recommends that hearing protection be worn in the workplace when loudness levels and exposure times exceed the allowable standards. Hearing protection will allow you to hear and understand everything, including voices and warning signals, but at a reduced level.

Safe Sound Level Time Allowed per Day:

• 90 dBA: 8 hours
• 92 dBA: 6 hours
• 95 dBA: 4 hours
• 97 dBA: 3 hours
• 100 dBA: 2 hours
• 102 dBA: 1 1/2 hours
• 105 dBA: 1 hour
• 110 dBA: 1/2 hour
• 115 dBA: 1/4 hour

Welding Rods considered to be the next asbestos
Welding fumes are a dangerous threat to the health of welders and nearby personnel. This rapidly growing toxic tort is considered by many leading attorneys to be the next "asbestos". Welding rod claims have been around for over 10 years, but not as a part of class action or plaintiff attorney marketing. The latest and largest wave of welding rod litigation includes class actions and strong plaintiff bar efforts to reach workers about filing injury claims. While litigation against manufacturers of welding rods is only now beginning to mount, insurers should at least be aware of the potential liabilities and review their book of business for past and future exposures.

Manganese causes Parkinson's since 1938
LOS ANGELES - The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company published a safety booklet in 1938 warning that exposure to manganese (a metallic element used in strengthening steel) may cause an illness similar to Parkinson's Disease, called Manganism. Its importance was downplayed by numerous welding rod manufacturers and trade organizations: Symptoms include muscle stiffness and soreness, fatigue and weakness, loss of coordination, abnormal walk, and tremors. A new complaint filed now in California contends. The complaint, filed March 10 in the California Superior Court for Los Angeles County is the third California welding rod complaint to be filed in less than a month; the first two were filed in Alameda and San Francisco Counties.