The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Mine Safety and Health Administration, in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), have initiated a “Hear and Now – Noise Safety Challenge.”
According to OSHA, every year, 22 million workers risk losing their hearing from workplace noise hazards. Hearing loss disability costs businesses an estimated $242 million annually in workers’ compensation.
Idea submissions are due by September 30. Ten finalists will be invited to present their ideas to a panel of judges on October 27 in Washington D.C. The competition is open to all ideas related to occupational hearing protection.
More information and a link to submit ideas can be found at https://www.dol.gov/featured/hearing.
The competition is open to the general public, including OSHA contractors and special government employees. However, employees of federal OSHA, “state plan” states and on-site consultation programs are not eligible.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
For more on the topic of hearing protection, see Hearing Protection for CPI Workers