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equipment, such as earplugs or earmuffs. The
equipment is also used as an interim measure until the
noise hazard is under control or eliminated.
Personnel working in designated hazardous noise
areas or operating noise-hazardous equipment must
wear hearing protection devices. They must wear
single-type hearing-protective devices when noise
levels are greater than 84 dB(A). They must wear a
combination of both the insert type and circumaural
muff type of hearing-protective devices in all areas
where noise levels exceed 104 dB(A).
Each hearing-protective device is tested and
assigned a noise reduction rating (NRR). This NRR tells
how many decibels the earplug or muff will reduce the
external noise. For example, suppose the noise hazard
area is measured at 90 dB(A). If you wear an earplug
with an NRR of 20 dB, you will only be exposed to 70
dB. That is well below the hazard level of greater than
84 dB(A). These NRRs are listed on earplug and
earmuff packaging.
Medical personnel dispense all earplugs requiring
fitting. The medical representative measures the
examinee’s ear canals and instructs him or her on the
proper type, size, and use of earplugs. In addition, the
examinee learns how to clean and maintain the earplugs.
Foam earplugs, earcaps, and earmuffs require no fitting;
but personnel must be trained to use them properly.
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL/HAZARDOUS
WASTE PROGRAM
We use hazardous materials daily, afloat and ashore,
in maintenance, repair, and cleaning. We could not
maintain our operational effectiveness without using
hazardous materials. In using hazardous materials,
however, we may also produce hazardous waste.
We can use hazardous materials effectively and
safely if we take care in their handling, storage, and
disposal. To help ensure that, OSHA passed a regulation
called the Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR
1910.1200. Since DOD and SECNAV have adopted that
regulation, all civilian and military employees of the
federal government must comply with it.
The hazardous materials you must use to do your
job can be hazardous to your health and the environment
if handled improperly. Therefore, you have the right to
be trained in the use of hazardous materials and to know
any information about those materials that could
threaten your safety or health.
To protect your rights and to ensure personnel
comply with OSHA and Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) regulations, the Navy has developed a
hazardous material control and management program.
Hazardous Material Control and Management
(HMC&M), OPNAVINST 4110.2, provides the details
of this program. OPNAVINST 5100.23C, chapter 7, and
OPNAVINST 5100.19B, chapter B3, also discuss
hazardous material control and management.
The Naval Supply Systems Command manages the
overall program for hazardous material control and
management for the Navy. The program objectives are
as follows:
Minimize the amount of hazardous materials in
use
Use hazardous materials safely
Decrease the amount of hazardous waste we
produce
Definition of Hazardous Material
What is hazardous material? We define hazardous
material as any material that, because of its quantity,
concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics,
may pose a real hazard to human health or the
environment. Hazardous materials include the
following categories:
Aerosols
Compressed gases
Oxidizing materials
Toxic or poisonous materials
Flammable and combustible materials
Corrosive materials, such as strong acids and
alkalies
Separate directives cover some materials
considered hazardous. They include mercury; asbestos;
propellants; bulk fuels; ammunition; medical waste; and
chemical, biological, and radiological materials.
Definition of Hazardous Waste
We define hazardous waste as any discarded
material (liquid, solid, or gas) that meets the definition
of hazardous material. Only the Environmental
Protection Agency or a state authority may designate
material as hazardous waste.
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