Using Technology to Stop the Progression of Occupational Hearing Loss

 

However, a new technology can now monitor noise exposures in real time and - for the first time - prevent the progression of noise-induced hearing loss.

 

This technology, known as QuietDose in-ear dosimetry, has helped stop the progression of hearing loss at an aluminum smelter in the western USA.

 

About 25% of their workforce was progressing toward a standard threshold shift (STS), despite fit-testing all workers on their HPDs annually. Since these workers had demonstrated adequate protection during the fit-test session, yet were still experiencing hearing threshold shifts, they were either poor HPD users at work (except during the fit-test session…) or they were experiencing non-occupational hearing loss.

 

These workers were equipped with QuietDose in-ear dosimeters, which measures and collects an individual’s daily noise exposure dose, both while the protectors are worn and when they are not, for daily use and to date they have been worn for over 5 years. There have been over 100,000 daily downloads from these workers. 99.5% of the downloads are less than 100% noise dose (TWA= 90 dBA), and 95% of the downloads are less than the goal of 50% (TWA = 85 dBA).

 

With this degree of compliance, hearing thresholds have stabilized and the goal of preventing further noise-induced hearing loss has been realized.