A common practice among many commanding
3. Periodic hearing testing of noise-exposed
personnel to evaluate program effectiveness
officers when making full power trials is first to bring
the ship up to a speed of 1 or more knots below the trial
4. Education of all hands in the command's
run speed of the ship and then turn the control of the
program and their individual responsibilities
speed (except in cases of emergency nature) over to the
5. Strict enforcement of all prescribed
engineer officer. The control engine room, under the
occupational noise control and hearing conservation
supervision of the engineer officer, brings the speed up
measures including disciplinary action for violators and
slowly, depending on the conditions of the plant, until
supervisors, as necessary
the specified speed has been reached.
Responsibilities
NOISE POLLUTION INSPECTIONS
The Secretary of the Navy policy, contained in
Hearing loss problems have been and continue to be
SECNAVINST 5100.1, emphasizes that occupational
a source of concern within the Navy, both ashore and
safety and health are the responsibilities of all
afloat. In the Navy the loss of hearing can occur from
commands. Accordingly, the following actions and
exposure to impulse or blast noise (that is, gunfire,
responsibilities are assigned.
rockets, and so forth) or from continuous or intermittent
sounds such as jet or propeller aircraft, marine engines,
NAVAL MEDICAL COMMAND (BUMED).--
boiler equipment operations, and any number of noise
The Commander of the Naval Medical Command must
sources associated with industrial activities (such as
manage the hearing conservation program and maintain
shipyards). Hearing loss may be temporary and will
the program's currency and effectiveness. It must
disappear after a brief period of nonexposure, or it may
provide audiometric support to all military and civilian
become permanent through repeated exposures to
personnel who are included in a hearing conservation
intense noise levels. The loss of hearing sensitivity is
program, professional and technical assistance to
generally in the higher frequencies of 4,000 to 6,000
commands responsible for assuring that the hearing of
hertz (Hz) with many people sustaining extensive
military and civilian personnel is protected, and
impairment before the all important speech range of 500
appropriate professional and technical hearing
to 3,000 Hz is appreciably affected.
conservation guidance and assistance to the Chief of
Naval Education and Training (CNET).
The Navy recognized noise pollution to be a
problem and started to combat it through the Hearing
It must develop guidelines and issue certifications
Conservation Program. The main purpose of this
following 0PNAVINST 6260.2 enclosure for personnel
program is to establish and implement an effective
conducting sound level measurements, personnel
occupational noise control and hearing conservation
performing hearing conservation audiometry,
program which has as its goal the elimination/
audiometric test chambers, audiometers, and all sound
prevention of hearing loss.
level measuring equipment. It must support a research
and development effort in medical aspects of hearing
conservation to ensure existing technology represents
Hearing Conservation program
the most advanced state of the art.
Hearing loss associated with exposure to hazardous
CHIEF OF NAVAL MATERIAL.-- The Chief of
noise and the high cost of compensation claims have
Naval Material (CHNAVMAT) must, in coordination
highlighted a significant problem which requires action
with CHBUMED, provides technical assistance and
to reduce or eliminate hazardous occupational noise
engineering guidance to commands as indicated in
levels. An effective occupational noise control and
OPNAVINST 6260.2 and periodically updates to
hearing conservation program will prevent or reduce the
maintain currency and effectiveness. Guidance must
exposure of personnel to potentially hazardous noise.
ensure consistent and required military capabilities, and
Such programs will incorporate the following elements:
that noise abatement is considered, designed, and
engineered into all (both existing and future) ships and
1. Identification of hazardous noise areas and their
aircraft, weapons and weapon systems, equipment,
sources
materials, supplies, and facilities which are acquired,
constructed, or provided through the Naval Material
2. Elimination or reduction of noise levels through
Command; and it must provide appropriate technical
the use of engineering controls
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