Seasonal property maintenance includes various tasks that take place outdoors, and many of which include loud machinery. Protecting your teams means investing in the PPE and tools to keep them safe from workplace injury, including hearing loss. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) 42 per cent of Canadian workers are exposed to potentially hazardous noise at work, and approximately 11 million are exposed to workplace noise that could cause hearing damage.

In most areas, the occupational exposure limit is 85 decibels (A-weighted) or dBA, but outdoor maintenance professionals are frequently surrounded by loud equipment and
machinery such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, drills, compressors, and HVAC systems, which can expose them to noise levels exceeding this threshold.

Proper PPE is essential for the protection of workers exposed to loud noises while performing their jobs, such as earplugs, noise-cancelling earmuffs, and other hearing protection devices. Here are some factors to consider when implementing protocols to protect your team’s hearing:

• Choose protection that makes sense for the job. Refer to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standard Z94.2-14 (R2019) “Hearing Protection Devices – Performance, Selection, Care and Use” or contact the agency responsible for occupational health and safety legislation in your jurisdiction for more information on what’s most appropriate.
• Consult the manufacturer’s literature for the best protection for the equipment’s noise level.
• Ensure that what you choose is compatible with other required PPE, like hard hats or safety glasses, for example.
• Comfort is also a consideration when workers need to wear protection for a long period of time. Ensure proper fit and use to maximize effectiveness and protection for all staff.
• Think about the weather conditions and whether the protection you’ve chosen is conducive to extreme heat. Perhaps this will affect your choice or scheduling for when the task will need to be completed.
• Soundproofing may not be feasible if communication, like alarms or warning sounds still need to be heard during the work.
• Music earphones or headsets are not substitutes for hearing protectors and should not be worn where hearing protectors are required to protect against exposure to noise.

Keeping outdoor staff safe, from heat protection to noise protection, needs to be top priority this summer and maintenance managers who are exposed to loud noises as part of their jobs need to be protected with the correct PPE and noise-defence tools.