We propose that Washington State establish an industry-wide program to reduce hearing loss due to noise exposure on the job in construction. All workers and all employers in the construction industry will be covered by this program, including all employers who are otherwise self-funded for Industrial Insurance.

All construction workers are exposed to excess levels of noise, and the number of industrial insurance claims that are made for hearing loss is growing very rapidly. Construction, with roughly six percent of the work force, now accounts for 25% of all hearing loss claims, up from 16% a decade ago.

This hearing loss, and the compensation costs that result from it, can be prevented through a good hearing conservation program. However, in the construction industry most workers move from job to job and contractor to contractor. Therefore, it is not feasible for most employers to establish effective hearing conservation programs on their own. For these reasons we propose an industry-wide program consisting of the following:

Construction Industry Hearing Conservation Program Fund. This will be a new fund established under the Department of Labor & Industries, which will have two parts:

• Part A: Hearing Conservation Program. This part of the Fund will pay for Training of workers Annual hearing testing for all workers, Durable hearing protection devices for all workers, Grants to stimulate noise prevention innovation in the industry; and Administration of the program. The cost of Part A will be shared equally by employers and workers, and is estimated to cost 2 cents to the employer and 2 cents to the worker for each hour worked, for a total of 4 cents per worker per hour.
  
  
• Part B: Hearing Loss Compensation. This part of the Fund will pay for claims made under Industrial Insurance for noise-induced hearing loss subsequent to the effective date of implementation of this program, including costs for exams, hearing aids, and permanent partial disability awards. Part B costs will be shared between employers and workers according to the existing Industrial Insurance procedures. Currently, these costs are approximately 6.6 cents per worker per hour.

A Construction Industry Hearing Conservation Standard. This will be a new Industrial Safety and Health Standard to make sure that all Construction Industry employers and workers comply with the requirements of the hearing conservation program.

The benefits of this program to the industry will be significant. We project that the industry-wide program will eventually reduce the occurrence of hearing loss in construction workers, resulting in fewer compensation and medical aid claims. The savings resulting from fewer claims will offset the costs of the program in the long run. We estimate that these savings will be equal to 25% of the program's costs within five years. Program savings should exceed program costs by the end of the 20th year.

For More Information Please Contact: Building Trades Labor-Management Organization of Washington State, 2604 12th Ct., S.W. Suite A3, Olympia, WA 98502. Tel: 360-596-9200. Fax 360-596-9202. www.builditsmart.org