Smoke Detector Hearing Damage

[Dan Hartung]

Perhaps so, and I agree about OSHA. (Hell, the GM plant here had someone fall off a crane 30 years ago and it only comes out now that it was never investigated ... because somebody else fell off.)

Nevertheless, the OP has rights,and I advised him how to proceed based on those rights. The workmen's comp laws are designed to avoid lawsuits and excessive torts, of the type that raise so much ire, and as I pointed out unlike torts they don't concern themselves (as much, anyway) with dividing up responsibility.

I can imagine you laughing at legless railroad men back in the day.

[Lawrence Wasserman]

Why didn't you use hearing protection after the first test?

[Me]

Its not rocket science. Just carry a towel around your belt. Wrap the smoke detector in the towel. This will muffle the sound.

[JM]

quoting:

There are nice tight-fitting headsets for noisy places. Better than ear plugs since they can be removed and put back on at will.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Half a century ago the workplace was much different. Employees had no "rights" and put up with a poor workplace in many cases. There is way this could have been taken care of with little fuss. First, if the OP has a hearing problem, he should carry protection with him "just in case". Plugs are negligible in weight and size.

An alternate method is to block the sound. Were I work a siren goes off on some machines it they are stopped for any reason. Not unbearable, but a minor annoyance. Cover it with your had, handkerchief, rag, paper towel works. Just a little common sense and ingenuity. By the second or third detector, he should have been able to figure something. He said it went on for three hours. Plenty of time to act.

FYI, one of my responsibilities at work is safety. We are below the OSHA limits on sounds level in every area of the plant. We still provide and encourage the use of sound protection for all workers. It is not the legal obligation that makes us do it, but the moral obligation to co-workers. Ed

[Zaf]

contact OSHA.

I much prefer the very inexpensive foam plugs. Their attenuation is actually greater than many of the headsets.

Noise levels set by OSHA have time limits with them. i.e. you can be exposed to so many hours and a certain sound pressure level. European law mandates ear protection above a certain level (90db I think) regardless of time exposed, but I do not think this is the case with OSHA. If you were testing alarms, even with 10 seconds/alarm, the time exposure may be proven to be limited and hearing protection was not required by OSHA.

[misterfact]

Write your congressman and DEMAND that all hospital smoke detectors be HARD WIRED. That way- you would never have to test the batteries. You might also suggest to your congressman that ALL smoke detectors should plug into a wall outlet and contain a QUALITY RECHARGABLE battery. A good rechargable battery will last TWENTY times longer than the stinking piece of CRAP that should be OUTLAWED in a smoke detector-known as the 9v chemical battery- which you can buy in the dollar store and usually come right out of the box- FULLY DISCHARGED! [e-mail]

[Don Klipstein]

Smoke detectors that use 9V batteries come with instructions that say to use *alkaline* ones, widely available in all kinds of places other than dollar stores.

- Don Klipstein ( [e-mail])

[JM]

quoting:

This raises an inportant question. Why are smoke detectors BATTERY OPERATED in a COMMERCIAL BUILDING anyway????

[HeatMan]

The high-rise off I worked in years ago had SD's hard-wired to a central station in the building and it in turn was off site monitored.

[Andy Hill]

I can't tell from the OP, but it's quite possible he was changing out the backup batteries. Hard-wired without backup batteries (commercial or not) is just asking from trouble. Probably against most codes, too.

[Don Klipstein]

In commercial buildings, I see hardwired smoke detectors. Also better grade fluorescent light fixtures (which is something that I do have a beef about).

Hardwired smoke detectors for home use are available.

- Don Klipstein ( [e-mail])

[David Thomas]

Ear silencers? No such thing. Hearing protection lowers the amount of sound reaching the eardrum but nothing will totally "silence" the noise. Bone conduction alone will allow some hearing in those not totally deaf to begin with. If you can't hear a mower hit a rock even wearing hearing protection, you're already deaf.

My father-in-law also has used power equipment all his life and claims his hearing is just fine. The fact that he's deaf as a post and refuses to admit it is beside the point.

This guy has got to be a troll.

Also please note: The proper way to test a smoke detector is with

*smoke*! Hitt> I work at a hospital and do maintenance. When I mow the lawn or run

[norminn]

Here is a quick hearing test - speak to him when he is looking at you, then again when he is looking away. Folks with noise induced hearing loss read lips without even realizing it.

Lots of folks (includes most people over age 50, most people who have worked in factories or used machinery) have noise induced hearing loss, which occurs at higher frequencies first. Most evident - early on - by having difficulty following conversation in a noisy room. Since high frequencies are lost first, it may account for the fact that men can't hear their wives but they can hear other men because the woman's voice is higher pitch. It isn't ALL stubbornness or personality :o)

OSHA recommends use of more than one type of hearing protection for some exposures.

[rb608]

Reminds me of an old cartoon. Back in the heyday of component stereo systems, Stereo Review (or similar) showed the front window of a store having a sale on speakers with the slogan, "Senior Citizen Special: 500 -

5,000 Hz, Why waste money on useless frills?" It was funnier when I was under 50.

Joe F.

[Doug Miller]

Even folks whose hearing is _perfectly_fine_ read lips without realizing it. I became aware of this about ten years ago, when we hired a deaf guy where I worked at the time. He can speak, somewhat, but not clearly (owing to being totally deaf from birth). I was _amazed_ to discover how much more easily I could understand his speech when I was looking directly at him. And there isn't _anything_ wrong with my hearing; that's been confirmed at various times by two different MDs and a certified audiologist.

-- Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

[alt-hvac Moderated]

Guy thought his wife was hard of hearing. He read a test in a magazine, and decided to try it out. While she was washing dishes, across the room he asked her "What's for dinner, hon?" and she didn't reply.

He walked a couple steps closer, and again asked what's for dinner. She again didn't reply.

He walked closer still, and asked again. She again didn't reply.

He walked closer, so that he was nearly touching her. And asked a fourth time. This time she turned around, looked him in the eye and said "For the fourth time, dear, CHICKEN!!!!!"