Noise Control: Buy Quiet

Noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most prevalent conditions today, associated with excessive noise exposures both on and off the job. To tackle noise problems at the source, government agencies and professional associations have developed initiatives and resources to promote quieter and safer environments at workplaces and local communities.

"Buy Quiet" initiatives encourage companies and individuals to purchase or rent quieter equipment to reduce noise exposure. These initiatives also call upon manufacturers to design quieter equipment by publishing noise data and creating a demand for quieter products. "Quiet by Design" programs are focused on engineering or re-engineering processes and systems to produce less noise. Potential benefits of these programs include reducing the risk of hearing loss, lowering long term costs associated with workplace injuries and hearing loss, and reducing the impact of noise and hearing loss in the community. To learn more:

• NIOSH - Buy Quiet: NIOSH recently announced the official launch of its new Buy Quiet website. The new materials highlight the benefits of a Buy Quiet program, explain how to establish a program in your workplace, and provide resources for locating quieter tools and machinery.
• NASA - BuyQuietRoadmap: NASA's initiative supports the procurement of low-noise products in the context of an ongoing hearing conservation program. Resources were developed by a NASA team and are available for use by hearing conservationists, acoustical engineers, and educators. 
• National Academy of Engineering - Technology for a Quieter America: This 2010 report was compiled by an expert panel gathered by NAE. The report reviews the most commonly identified sources of noise, standards and regulations that govern noise, cost-benefit trade-offs between efforts to mitigate noise and the improvements they achieve, and information sources available to the public.