Deafening Sound NPRN Series
Part 2 (Nov. 21), Producer's Script

DEAFENING SOUND-2
Ludden
11/21/00

IT'S FOUR MINUTES PAST THE HOUR, I'M KEITH LUDDEN

nat sound from "election nite"
party room up
Fade to bed and
out by the end of the
paragraph

15:36


SOUND , LIKE THE AIR WE BREATHE, IS ALWAYS THERE... SOMETIMES THERE'S TOO MUCH OF IT... EVEN AT OUR WORKPLACE. . JIM COVER IS AN INDUSTRIAL HYGEINIST FOR THE NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. HIS JOB IS TO WORK WITH EMPLOYERS ON HEALTH ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE

Cover
1:40:55 Usally noise is ... deal with the most


MOST HEAVY INDUSTRIES OR MANUFACTURERS CREATE A LOT OF NOISE. UNDER OSHA GUIDELINES, EMPLOYERS MUST IMPLEMENT A HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM IF THE NOISE LEVEL IN THE WORKPLACE REACHES 85 DECIBELS FOR 8 HOURS. IF ITHE SOUND TOPS 90 DECIBELS , THE EMPLOYER MUST TAKES STEPS TO REDUCE THE SOUND LEVEL S

Cover
1:49:45 The misconception is ... not quite true

ACTUALLY, COVER SAYS, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE TO TELL IF THE NOISE IS TOO LOUD
Cover
1:48:58 A good rule of thumb .... exceeding 85 decibels

DR. STEVE BONEY IS AN AUDIOLOGIST AT THE BARKELY SPEECH AND HEARING CLINIC ON THE U-N-L CAMPUS. ACCORDING TO BONEY, PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HIGH NOISE LEVELS DAMAGES A SMALL SNAIL SHAPED STRUCTURE IN THE EAR, CALLED THE COCHLEA, THAT CONTAINS TINY SENSORY HAIR CELLS

Boney
1:10:26 And the cochlea... the damage is permanent

nat sound --
grinder `
2:04:05--2:04:12
fade out

ACCORDING TO COVER SOME OF THE TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF NOISY EQUIPMENT ARE GRINDERS , JACKHAMMERS, AND PUNCH PRESSES. SOME PUNCH PRESSES, HE SAYS, ARE LOUD ENOUGH TO VIBRATE THE FLOOR. AND SOMETIMES WORKERS THEMSELVES ADD TO THE NOISE LEVELS

Cover
1:45:21 Say you're in a ... working with is

Nat sound up
establish and fade
under for bed
(loop if necessary--
it's a pretty constant turbine sound)
7:37

IN SOME ENVIRONMENTS THE NOISE IS NOT
INTERMITTENT, IT'S A CONSTANT ROAR. NO ONE HAS TO CONVINCE THIS MAN, WHO RUNS A LARGE STEAM PLANT, ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PRECAUTIONS

Barker
11:40 Is it pretty difficult... gotta wear hearing protection

TODAY, HE SAYS, IS A PRETTY QUIET DAY. THE BIG NOISE IS IN THE SUMMER, WHEN THE CHILLERS ARE RUNNING.

fade boiler plant out

x-fade
Dentist's
drill --catch the first
pulse, at 14:45 then hold
for aboutthree or four
seconds before fading

BUT NOT ALL THE NOISE IS IN INDUSTRIAL SETTINGS. IT'S A PROBLEM FOR SOME PROFESSIONALS, TOO. RECENTLY DENTISTS HAVE BECOME CONCERNED ABOUT THE HIGH FREQUENCY NOISE FROM THE HIGH SPEED DRILLS, OR HANDPIECES THEY OPERATE. DR. JAMES GANSER IS A DENTIST IN LINCOLN


Ganser
16:05 You know it's something .... as clearly as I should

WHILE SHORT TERM EXPOSURE TO THE DENTIST'S DRILL WON'T NECESSARILY CAUSE A PROBLEM, A DENTIST USES HIS TOOLS FOR SEVERAL HOURS IN ANY GIVEN DAY. AND UNLIKE INDUSTRIAL SETTINGS, IT'S MORE DIFFICULT TO MAKE THE DRILLS QUIETER .

Ganser
16:49 The problem that ...mouth that we work in

NOR ARE EARPLUGS A VERY GOOD SOLUTION SAYS GANSER, BECAUSE THE DENTIST HAS TO COMMUNICATE WITH ASSISTANTS.

PILOTS ARE ALSO EXPOSED TO HIGH SOUND LEVELS, AND ARE REQUIRED TO GET HEARING TESTS ANNUALLY

COVER SAYS EMPLOYERS ARE TAKING NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS A LOT MORE SERIOUSLY THESE DAYS. SOME ARE REQUIRING NEW EMPLOYEES TO GET BASELINE HEARING TESTS TO PROTECT THE EMPLOYER FROM THE CLAIMS OF EMPLOYEES WHO MAY HAVE ALREADY DAMAGED THEIR HEARING BY RIDING AROUND IN CARS WITH SOUPED UP STEREO SYSTEMS,

Cover
1:55:49 The more time ... one way or the other

ACCORDING TO COVER, COMPANIES ARE ALSO REALIZING THAT HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAMS ARE CHEAPER THAN PAYING WORKERS COMPENSATION CLAIMS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS, YOU CAN ALSO TUNE IN TO NEBRASKA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION'S DEAFENING SOUND, TONIGHT NIGHT AT SEVEN CENTRAL 6 MOUNTAIN TIME, FOLLOWED BY A LIVE TLEVISION CALL IN SHOW. FOR NEBRASKA PUBLIC RADIO, I'M KEITH LUDDEN