Field Study Evaluating Effectiveness of NIHL Prevention Technologies

Sept 2009

Editor: I think we've made a lot of progress in the battle against noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). It seems that a lot of people are aware of the dangers, and I often see landscapers and others wearing earplugs when operating noisy machinery. And the effort continues. Here's a press release about a study of new technologies that might result in more effective protection.

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Howard Leight(R)/Sperian Hearing Protection, LLC, the leading global provider of passive and intelligent hearing protection solutions, is participating in a field study conducted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in collaboration with Yale University that is evaluating the effectiveness of new technologies to prevent occupational noise-induced hearing loss among mine inspectors.

"Based on the data, mine workers and inspectors are especially at risk for noise-induced hearing loss," said Theresa Y. Schulz PhD., Lt. Col. USAF (retired), Hearing Conservation Manager, Howard Leight/Sperian Hearing Protection, LLC, and former team leader of the Hearing Loss Prevention Branch at The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

By age 50, about 90% of coal miners, and 49% of metal/nonmetal miners, have a hearing impairment, versus 10% of non-miners, according to NIOSH.

The MSHA study now underway is evaluating a variety of new hearing loss prevention technologies. The research is being conducted in the field, with on-the-job MSHA mine inspectors, in cooperation with the Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program of the Yale University School of Medicine.

It's expected that a report on the findings will be produced for MSHA by year-end.

Howard Leight is providing three advanced technologies for evaluation in the study:

* QuietDose(TM) personal dosimeter that measures and records a worker's actual in-ear exposure to noise over an entire work shift

* VeriPRO(R) technology that measures real-world attenuation of unmodified earplugs and can be used to improve individual employee training and enhance the overall effectiveness of Hearing Conservation Programs

* Electronic earmuffs that manage impulse/impact noise, limiting ambient sound amplification to safe levels, revert to passive protection when noise reaches unsafe levels

Additional technologies, provided by other manufacturers, for the study include custom-fit earplug technology, and traditional foam earplugs.

"Miners and mine inspectors work in extremely difficult conditions. The goal is to better protect MSHA inspectors, and we at Howard Leight are extremely proud to participate in this crucial initiative to evaluate the application of the latest technologies to the very real problem of occupational hearing loss among mine inspectors," said Dr. Schulz.

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