R 061313Z JAN 12
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 010/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS //
SUBJ/HEARING CONSERVATION AND READINESS//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CMC WASHINGTON DC SD/05APR2000//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/NAVAUDSVC WASHINGTON DC/14JAN2011/-/NOTAL//
REF/C/MSGID:DOC/CMC WASHINGTON DC RFR/02FEB2011/-/NOTAL//
REF/D/MSGID:DOC/CHIEF, BUMED WASHINGTON DC M-3/05JUN2009/-/NOTAL//
REF/E/MSGID:DOC/UNSECDEF (ATL) WASHINGTON DC/02MAY2007//
NARR/REF A IS MCO 6260.1E, MARINE CORPS HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM.  REF B IS NAVAL AUDIT SERVICE MEMO 7510 N2008-NF0000-0023, FINDINGS OF MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MARINE CORPS HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM.  REF C IS CMC LTR 7510 RFR-80/2 OF 2 FEB 11, RESPONSE TO REF B.  REF D IS DODI 6055.05-M, OCCUPATIONAL MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEILLANCE MANUAL, REQUIRES MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITIES TO COMMUNICATE MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE AND TREATMENT TO COMMANDS.  REF E IS UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (ACQUISITION, TECHNOLOGY AND LOGISTICS) MEMO WHICH REQUIRES MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITIES TO ADVISE COMMANDERS ABOUT MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE AND TREATMENT.//
POC/MICHAEL S. MILLER/CIV/UNIT:CMC SD/NAME:OSH BRANCH /TEL:DSN 224-2147/EMAIL:MICHAEL.S.MILLER5(AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE MARINE CORPS HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM CONTAINED IN REFERENCE (A) IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL - MILITARY AND CIVILIAN - FROM SUFFERING HEARING LOSS DUE TO NOISE EXPOSURE AND TO ENSURE HEARING READINESS AND FITNESS FOR DUTY IN THE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN WORKFORCE.  THE NAVAL AUDIT SERVICE RECENTLY COMPLETED A REVIEW OF THE HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION IN PROTECTING THE HEARING OF MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL. PER REFERENCE (B), THE AUDIT DETERMINED THE MARINE CORPS HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM WAS NOT EFFECTIVELY PROTECTING THE HEARING OF MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL, MAKING IT A COMMAND READINESS ISSUE REQUIRING PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS.
2.  PURPOSE. TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MARINE CORPS HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM AND RESPOND TO REFERENCE (B), THIS MESSAGE DIRECTS NEAR-TERM AND ENDURING ACTIONS.
3.  ACTIONS
A.  NEAR-TERM ACTIONS
(1) UNIT COMMANDERS
(A) CONDUCT A HEARING CONSERVATION AND READINESS STAND-DOWN WITHIN 120 DAYS OF THIS MESSAGE.  RESERVE UNITS ARE TO CONDUCT THE STAND-DOWN WITHIN 180-DAYS OF THIS MESSAGE.
(B) PROVIDE HEARING CONSERVATION AWARENESS TRAINING.  UNITS WITHOUT ORGANIC MEDICAL SUPPORT SHOULD REQUEST TRAINING ASSISTANCE FROM THEIR SUPPORTING MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY (MTF).  ADDITIONALLY, A TRAINING POWERPOINT BRIEF IS AVAILABLE AT THE HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS (HQMC) SAFETY DEPARTMENT (SD) WEBSITE AT WWW.MARINES.MIL/UNIT/SAFETY/PAGES/WELCOME.ASPX.  THIS BRIEF SHOULD TAKE NO MORE THAN ONE HOUR TO PRESENT, INCLUDING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.  ADDITIONAL TRAINING MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NMCPHC.MED.NAVY.MIL/OCCUPATIONAL(UNDERSCORE)HEALTH/AUDIOLOGY/HEAR INGCONSERVATION(UNDERSCORE)TOOLBOX.ASPX.
(C) VALIDATE EAR PLUG FITTING OF ALL PERSONNEL; ENSURE FITTING IS DOCUMENTED IN MEDICAL RECORDS.
(D) VALIDATE THE ACCURACY OF THE UNIT MEDICAL READINESS REPORTING SYSTEM (MRRS) HEARING CONSERVATION REPORT.
(E) ENSURE ALL PERSONNEL HAVE DATES OF REFERENCE AND CURRENT ANNUAL AUDIOGRAMS IN MRRS PER REFERENCE (D).
(F) UNIT HEARING READINESS GOAL IS 100 PERCENT OF ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL AND CIVILIANS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO HAZARDOUS NOISE HAVING ON FILE A REFERENCE AUDIOGRAM AND AN ANNUAL AUDIOGRAM COMPLETED WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS.  COMPLIANCE IS BASED ON QUARTERLY MRRS HEARING CONSERVATION REPORT.  UNITS AT LESS THAN 90 PERCENT SHALL DEVELOP A PLAN TO REACH 100 PERCENT WITHIN 120 DAYS. 
(G) MAINTAIN ON FILE A COPY OF THE LATEST UNIT INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE BASELINE INVENTORY OF HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS; A COPY CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE MTF.  THIS INVENTORY IDENTIFIES HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS AND THE LEVEL OF HAZARDOUS NOISE, AND REMAINS CURRENT UNTIL NEW EQUIPMENT IS INTRODUCED OR CHANGES IN PROCESSES, PROCEDURES OR FACILITIES AFFECTING NOISE LEVELS ARE IMPLEMENTED.
(2) COMMARFORS (LESS COMMARFORRES; SEE PARAGRAPH 3A(3)); CG MCCDC; CG MCICOM; CG MARCORLOGCOM; CG MCRC; AND COMMARCORSYSCOM
(A) WITHIN 140-DAYS OF THIS MESSAGE, REQUIRE SUBORDINATE COMMANDS TO REPORT VIA NAVAL MESSAGE:  THE COMPLETION DATE OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE BASELINE INVENTORY OF HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS; THE HEARING READINESS STATUS PER MRRS HEARING CONSERVATION REPORT; AND THE NUMBER OF UNITS BELOW 90-PERCENT HEARING READINESS GOAL.
(B) WITHIN 200-DAYS OF THIS MESSAGE, PROVIDE HQMC (SD) A SUMMARY OF SUBORDINATE COMMANDS HEARING CONSERVATION AND READINESS STATUS VIA NAVAL MESSAGE.
(3) COMMARFORRES
(A) WITHIN 200-DAYS OF THIS MESSAGE, REQUIRE SUBORDINATE COMMANDS TO REPORT VIA NAVAL MESSAGE:  THE COMPLETION DATE OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE BASELINE INVENTORY OF HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS; THE HEARING READINESS STATUS PER MRRS HEARING CONSERVATION REPORT; AND THE NUMBER OF UNITS BELOW 90 PERCENT HEARING READINESS GOAL.
(B) WITHIN 260-DAYS OF THIS MESSAGE, PROVIDE HQMC (SD) A SUMMARY OF SUBORDINATE COMMANDS HEARING CONSERVATION AND READINESS STATUS VIA NAVAL MESSAGE.
B.  ENDURING ACTIONS
(1) UNIT COMMANDERS
(A) ENSURE ALL JOINED MILITARY PERSONNEL HAVE A REFERENCE AUDIOGRAM DD FORM 2215 IN THEIR MEDICAL RECORD, AND THE COMPLETION DATE IS RECORDED IN MRRS.  WHERE THERE IS NO REFERENCE AUDIOGRAM, ENSURE ONE IS COMPLETED AS SOON AS PRACTICAL.
(B) ENSURE MILITARY PERSONNEL ARE ENROLLED IN THE UNIT'S HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM AND ARE PROVIDED ANNUAL AUDIOGRAMS; ENSURE A COPY OF THE AUDIOGRAM DD FORM 2216 IS FILED IN THE MEDICAL RECORD AND TEST DATE IS RECORDED IN MRRS.  CONDUCT ANNUAL HEARING CONSERVATION TRAINING.
(C) ENSURE CIVILIAN PERSONNEL WORKING IN HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS ARE PLACED ON THE HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM AND LISTED ON A UNIT OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE REGISTRY (OER); SUBMIT THE UNIT OER TO THE SERVICING MTF SEMI-ANNUALLY.
(D) ENSURE MILITARY PERSONNEL COMPLETE THEIR ANNUAL PERIODIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT WITH AN AUDIOGRAM AND THE RESULTS AND DATES ARE RECORDED IN MRRS.
(E) ENSURE CIVILIAN PERSONNEL WORKING IN HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS RECEIVE ANNUAL AUDIOGRAMS AND HEARING CONSERVATION TRAINING AND RESULTS ARE PROPERLY RECORDED BY THE SERVICING MTF.
(F) ENSURE MRRS IS UPDATED AND VALIDATED WHEN MILITARY PERSONNEL JOIN OR TRANSFER FROM THE UNIT.  REVIEW MRRS QUARTERLY TO ENSURE ACCURACY.
(G) IMPLEMENT A PROCESS TO ENSURE THE OER IS UPDATED AND SUBMITTED TO THE SERVICING MTF SEMI-ANNUALLY AND WHEN CIVILIAN PERSONNEL WORKING IN DESIGNATED HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS JOIN OR TRANSFER/DEPART THE UNIT.
(H) ENSURE HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS ARE PROPERLY MARKED PER REFERENCE (A).
(I) ENSURE HAZARDOUS NOISE AREAS ARE EVALUATED BY INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE PROFESSIONALS FOR THE FEASIBILITY OF USING ENGINEERING CONTROLS TO REDUCE HAZARDS, TO DETERMINE THE ADEQUACY OF HEARING PROTECTORS, AND TO CONFIRM SUPERVISORS ENFORCE USE OF PERSONAL HEARING PROTECTIVE DEVICES BY PERSONNEL WORKING IN NOISE HAZARDOUS AREAS.
(J) REMOVE PERSONNEL FROM THE HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM ONLY WITH APPROVAL OF AN AUDIOLOGIST OR OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN, AND ONLY AFTER THE INDIVIDUAL HAS COMPLETED A TERMINATION AUDIOGRAM AND THE RESULTS ARE PROPERLY RECORDED.
(2) DIRECTOR, SAFETY DIVISION, HQMC
(A) WITHIN 280-DAYS OF THIS MESSAGE, PROVIDE THE ASSISTANT COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS A SPECIAL INTEREST REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE MARINE CORPS HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM.
(B) MAKE HEARING CONSERVATION AND READINESS A SPECIAL INTEREST ITEM DURING ALL CMC COMMAND SAFETY ASSESSMENTS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
(C) MAINTAIN THE HEARING CONSERVATION AND READINESS TRAINING POWERPOINT BRIEF ON THE SAFETY DIVISION WEBSITE.
4.  INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE MARINE CORPS (IGMC).  MAKE HEARING CONSERVATION AND READINESS A SPECIAL INTEREST ITEM ON ALL IGMC INSPECTIONS AND COMMANDING GENERAL INSPECTION PROGRAM ASSESSMENTS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
5.  HEARING CONSERVATION IS A READINESS ISSUE.  NAVY MEDICINE ACTIVELY SUPPORTS COMMANDERS BY ENTERING INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL READINESS DATA INTO MRRS, THE DEFENSE OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH READINESS SYSTEM-HEARING CONSERVATION (DOEHRS-HC), INDIVIDUAL HEALTH RECORDS, AND BY PERFORMING PERIODIC INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE SURVEYS.  REFERENCES (D) AND (E) REQUIRE COMMANDERS BE NOTIFIED OF THE DATES AND FINDINGS OF SPECIFIC WORKPLACE MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE EVALUATIONS AND INFORMED ABOUT ANY TREATMENTS OF ACOUSTIC TRAUMA, PERMANENT THRESHOLD SHIFT AND SIGNIFICANT THRESHOLD SHIFT INJURIES TO INCLUDE HOW LONG BEFORE THE INDIVIDUAL CAN RETURN TO FULL DUTY. COMMANDERS ARE TO TRACK THIS INFORMATION AND MAKE APPROPRIATE WEB-ENABLED SAFETY SYSTEM (WESS) ENTRIES TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE RISK MANAGEMENT OCCURS.
6.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN W. J. WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR, MARINE CORPS STAFF.//