While OSHA doesn’t have a regulation prohibiting workers from using headphones to listen to music on construction sites, it still doesn’t consider it a good practice, according to a new guidance letter.
OSHA answered a question asking if there was a regulation prohibiting worker use of headphones for music on construction sites.
There’s no specific rule. But OSHA pointed out that it does have a standard (1926.52) requiring hearing protection, and headphones for music devices are typically no substitute for proper hearing protection.
However, some headphones with built-in volume limiters may provide hearing protection and can be used as long as they meet the requirements of Table D-2 of OSHA’s Hearing Protection standard (1926.101). With that in mind, headphone use on a construction site may be OK.
