Disclaimer: I know this probably isn’t the best sub for this because this place wasn’t started with this sort of question in mind but me not being very active in other work related subs and knowing there are sometimes people in here with this sort of knowledge I decided to try it here.
Back story: So work had me wearing around a device that measured decibels. I was playing with it and saw that the area I work in averaged 94.7 decibels over a 8h period. I did some looking around and seen that OSHA requires no more than 8 hours of exposure to 85 decibels (or is it 90?) I also see where it scales up strangely. And I think at 95 decibels it is no longer than 4h of exposure? I also see where breaks can be used to reset the time so to speak and from what I can tell on an 8 hour shift, at 95 decibels, if you get a thirty minute break in the middle, that is considered acceptable amounts of exposure.
So the Questions: Do I have this right? And Is not getting any break in an 8 hour period an OSHA violation?
It would make sense since technically my work says I get a 30 minute break in the middle of an 8h sift. But I rarely get them.
I know I should and may well speak with a lawyer about this but was hoping to get a bit more confident on the subject before forking over his hourly rate for a chat.
Note 1: I always wear hearing protection and take it seriously even though many of my coworkers do not
Note 2: I know I should ditch this crap job but it is truly the best thing I (me specifically) can get in this area. I am currently living like a miser and squirreling away money with a plan gtfo in a couple years.
Note 3: I live in a state that has no state lvl requirements for breaks and my employer is not a government contractor so they are not under any legal obligation to give me any breaks. I asked a workman’s comp lawyer about this one time and he confirmed it.