Loud-job hearing check for your crew

On days with saws, grinders, blowers or heavy equipment, the crew gets a short hearing-protection reminder based on NIOSH's 85 dBA guidance.

What it does

NIOSH says noise at or above 85 dBA (A-weighted decibels), averaged over an eight-hour workday, puts workers at risk of significant hearing loss over a working lifetime, and for every 3 dBA louder, the safe time is cut in half. NIOSH's rule of thumb: if you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone 3 feet away, it's likely around 85 dBA (lawn mowers, power tools); if you have to shout, it's likely 95 dBA or more (chain saws, bulldozers). Other signs: ringing ears or dull, flat sound after work, or needing the truck radio louder at the end of the shift. Occupational hearing loss is permanent but preventable. NIOSH's steps for workers: take breaks from the noise, spend less time in loud areas, keep radio and earbud volume low and only in quieter areas, and always wear hearing protection correctly in noisy areas; it also recommends a yearly hearing test for workers exposed to hazardous noise. Each morning your bot asks what's loud today and, on loud days, drafts a short reminder you can forward to the crew. Measuring is optional: NIOSH's free Sound Level Meter app (iPhone and iPad only) gives a rough reading. The employer is ultimately responsible for a safe workplace; this is just a nudge.

Copy-paste prompt

Be my crew's hearing-protection reminder, using NIOSH's noise and hearing loss guidance.

My crew: [e.g. 4-person framing crew / landscaping crew / shop with saws and grinders / just me]. Common loud tools: [circular saw, chop saw, jackhammer, chain saw, leaf blower, grinder, compressor]. Hearing protection on the truck: [foam plugs / earmuffs / both].

1. Each workday at [6:15 AM], ask me in one line: "What's loud today?" I'll answer with the tools or tasks.
2. If any are loud, draft a short message I can forward to my crew group:
- Which tasks are likely 85 dBA or more (NIOSH's rule of thumb: if you have to raise your voice to talk to someone 3 feet away, it's likely around 85; if you have to shout, it's likely 95 or more).
- Plugs or muffs in before the tool starts, worn the way the manufacturer's instructions say.
- Take breaks away from the noise, and keep quieter work away from the loud zone when we can.
- Keep the radio and earbuds low, and only in quieter areas.
3. If I want a number, remind me NIOSH has a free Sound Level Meter app for iPhone and iPad. Measure during normal work with the equipment running, for at least 30 seconds in each spot, and wear protection while measuring. Explain readings in plain words: NIOSH's limit is 85 dBA averaged over 8 hours, and for every 3 dBA louder the time is cut in half (88 = 4 hours, 91 = 2 hours, 94 = 1 hour). NIOSH notes phone apps may not meet regulatory requirements, so it's a rough check, not an official survey.
4. Once a year in [January], remind me NIOSH recommends a yearly hearing test for anyone exposed to hazardous noise, and to ask my employer or doctor about it.
5. If someone mentions ringing ears, muffled sound after work, or needing the truck radio louder at the end of the shift, suggest they get their hearing checked.

Keep crew messages under 5 lines. Never text anyone but me; I forward what I want. My company's safety program comes first.