[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR227.115]

[Page 393]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 227_OCCUPATIONAL NOISE EXPOSURE--Table of Contents
 
 Subpart B_Occupational Noise Exposure for Railroad Operating Employees.
 
Sec.  227.115  Hearing protectors.

    (a) General requirements for hearing protectors.
    (1) The railroad shall provide hearing protectors to employees at no 
cost to the employee.
    (2) The railroad shall replace hearing protectors as necessary.
    (3) When offering hearing protectors, a railroad shall consider an 
employee's ability to understand and respond to voice radio 
communications and audible warnings.
    (4) The railroad shall give employees the opportunity to select 
their hearing protectors from a variety of suitable hearing protectors. 
The selection shall include devices with a range of attenuation levels.
    (5) The railroad shall provide training in the use and care of all 
hearing protectors provided to employees.
    (6) The railroad shall ensure proper initial fitting and supervise 
the correct use of all hearing protectors.
    (b) Availability of hearing protectors. A railroad shall make 
hearing protectors available to all employees exposed to sound levels 
that meet or exceed the action level.
    (c) Required use at action level. A railroad shall require the use 
of hearing protectors when an employee is exposed to sound levels that 
meet or exceed the action level, and the employee has:
    (1) Not yet had a baseline audiogram established pursuant to Sec.  
227.109; or
    (2) Experienced a standard threshold shift and is required to use 
hearing protectors under Sec.  227.109(h).
    (d) Required use for TWA of 90 dB(A). The railroad shall require the 
use of hearing protectors when an employee is exposed to sound levels 
equivalent to an 8-hour TWA of 90 dB(A) or greater. The hearing 
protectors should be used to reduce sound levels to within those levels 
required by appendix A of this part.