[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 98 (Monday, May 20, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25226-25228]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12557]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

NIOSH Meeting

    The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
following meeting.

    Name: Notice of Public Meeting and Request for Comments.
    Times and Dates: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., June 20, 1996; 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 
June 21, 1996.
    Place: The Hyatt Regency Hotel, Regency Ballrooms E and F, 151 
West Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
    Status: Open to the public, limited only by the space available. 
The meeting room accommodates approximately 250 people.
    Purpose: The purpose of this notice is to request public 
comments on the NIOSH draft document, ``Criteria for Recommended 
Standard: Occupational Noise Exposure,'' NIOSH is planning to 
convene a public meeting at a later date to discuss the scientific 
and technical issues relevant to the document.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-596) 
states that ``the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall * * * 
produce criteria * * * enabling the Secretary of Labor to meet his 
responsibility for the formulation of safety and health standards'' [29 
U.S.C. 669(a)(2)]. An occupational safety and health standard is 
defined as a standard that sets requirements reasonably necessary or 
appropriate to provide safe or healthful employment at places of 
employment [29 U.S.C. 652]. In promulgating standards dealing with 
harmful physical agents under both the Occupational Safety and Health 
Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-596), and the Federal Mine Safety and Health 
Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-164), the Secretary of Labor shall set the 
standard which most adequately assures, to the extent feasible, that no 
employee will suffer material impairment of health or functional 
capacity even if such employee has regular exposure to the hazard for 
the period of his working life. In addition to the attainment of the 
highest degree of health and safety protection for the employee, other 
considerations shall be the latest available scientific data in the 
field, the feasibility of the standard, and experience gained under 
this and other health and safety laws [29 U.S.C. 655(b)(5) and 30 
U.S.C. 811(a)(6)(A)]. NIOSH is authorized under 29 U.S.C. 671 and 30 
U.S.C. 811(a)(6)(B) to develop new and improved recommended 
occupational safety and health standards and to perform all functions 
of the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

II. Issues for Comment

    In 1972, NIOSH published ``Criteria for a Recommended Standard: 
Occupational Exposure to Noise,'' which provided the basis for a 
recommended standard to reduce the risk of developing permanent hearing 
loss as a result of occupational noise exposure. NIOSH has evaluated 
the latest scientific information and is revising some of its previous 
recommendations.
    The NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) of 85-dBA for 
occupational noise exposure was reevaluated using contemporary risk 
assessment techniques and incorporation of the 4000-Hz audiometric 
frequency in the definition of hearing impairment. The new risk 
assessment reaffirms support for the 85-dBA REL. The excess risk of 
developing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) for a 40-year 
lifetime exposure at the 85-dBA REL is 8%, which is considerably lower 
than the 25% excess risk at the 90-dBA permissible exposure limit 
currently enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 
(OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
    NIOSH previously recommended an exchange rate of 5-dB for the 
calculation of time-weighted average exposures to noise, but it is now 
recommending a 3-dB exchange rate, which is more firmly supported by 
scientific evidence. The 5-dB exchange rate is still used by OSHA and 
MSHA, but the 3-dB exchange rate has been increasingly supported by 
national and international consensus.
    NIOSH recommends an improved criterion for significant threshold 
shift, which is an increase of 15-dB in hearing threshold at 500, 1000, 
2000, 3000, 4000, or 6000Hz that is repeated for the same ear and 
frequency in back-to-back audiometric tests. The new criterion has the 
advantages of a high identification rate and a low false-positive rate. 
In comparison, the criterion recommended in the 1972 criteria document 
has a high false-positive rate, and the OSHA criterion, called the 
Standard Threshold Shift, has a relatively low identification rate.
    Differing from the 1972 criteria document, NIOSH no longer 
recommends age correction on individual audiograms. This practice is 
not scientifically valid, and would delay intervention to prevent 
further hearing losses in those workers whose hearing threshold levels 
have increased due to occupational noise exposure. OSHA currently 
allows age correction only as an option.
    The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is a single-number, laboratory-
derived rating required by the Environmental Protection Agency to be 
shown on the label of each hearing protector sold in the U.S. In 
calculating the noise exposure to the wearer of a hearing protector at 
work, OSHA has implemented the practice of derating the NRR by one-half 
for all types of hearing protectors. In 1972, NIOSH recommended the use 
of the full NRR value, but now it recommends derating the NRR by 25% 
for earmuffs, 50% for formable earplugs and 70% for all other earplugs. 
This variable derating scheme takes into consideration the performances 
of different types of hearing protectors.
    The draft also recommends that hearing protectors be worn for any 
noise exposure over 85-dBA, regardless of exposure duration. This 
measure is simplistic but extremely protective because its 
implementation does not require the calculation of time-weighed-average 
(TWA) exposure. This ``hard-hat'' approach, as opposed to predicating 
the requirement on TWA exposures, is a departure from what was 
recommended in 1972.
    The criteria document also provides recommendations for the 
management of hearing loss prevention programs for workers whose noise 
exposures equal or exceed 82-dBA (i.e., \1/2\ of the REL). The 
recommendations include program evaluation, which was not articulated 
in the 1972 criteria document and is not included in the OSHA and MSHA 
standards.

CONTACT PERSON FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Technical information may be 
obtained from Ralph Zumwalde, NIOSH, CDC, 4672 Columbia Parkway, M/S C-
32, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45226, telephone 513/533-8319, e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    Persons wishing to attend the meeting, present oral comments, 
obtain a copy of the draft document, or reserve overnight 
accommodations at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, should respond by May 31, 
1996, to Kellie Wilson, NIOSH, 4676 Columbia Parkway, M/S C-34, 
Cincinnati, Ohio, 45226, telephone 513/533-8362, fax 513/533-8285, e-
mail address: [email protected].
    Persons interested in providing comments on the draft document 
should submit comments by June 10, 1996, to Diane Manning, NIOSH Docket 
Office, 4676 Columbia Parkway, M/S C-34, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45226. 
Comments may also be submitted by e-mail to: [email protected]. 
E-mail

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attachments may be formatted as WordPerfect 5.0, 5.1/5.2, 6.0/6.1, or 
ASCII files.
    Information can also be obtained by calling 1-800-35-NIOSH or by 
the Internet NOISH Homepage: http:/www.cdc.gov/noish/homepage.html.

    Dated: May 14, 1996.
Nancy C. Hirsch,
Acting Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-12557 Filed 5-17-96; 8:45 am]
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