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In observations, we have all seen a worker wearing a communication headset with one earcup on one ear, and one off of the other. Why? Because they could not hear their surrounding environment or communicate with their co-workers, losing situational awareness – such as that helicopter behind them on the helideck or the mine alarm sounding – putting them and their co-workers at a higher risk of accident. With one ear consistently exposed to hazardous noise, that worker is at a high risk for noise-induced hearing loss.

Some intelligent hearing protectors incorporate in-ear dosimetry to continuously monitor the personal sound exposure a worker experiences during the course of the work day, whether from protected or unprotected exposures, or from in-ear radio communications. This real-time feedback identifies if the worker is safely protected, approaching their prescribed permissible exposure limit, or have been overexposed and are at higher risk for noise-induced hearing loss.

A series of free HearForever^® by Howard Leight seminars to help safety professionals improve their hearing conservation programs and prevent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in the workplace will be presented during April in North Dakota and Montana.

 For the past several years, the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) has conducted a Hearing Loss Prevention outreach called DiscovEARy Zone at their annual convention and conference, AudiologyNOW!