Download or read book The Effect of Fitting the Right Hearing Protection Device written by Chehanya Janelle O'Flaherty and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Background: It is estimated that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) affects almost 2% of the New Zealand workforce. There is no cure for NIHL, thus, prevention is imperative. Occupational noise reaches dangerous levels in the workplace and along with macro occupational noise management, personal hearing protection devices (HPD) may be required. Poor selection of HPD can lead to the removal of the device. This may be due to overprotection, comfort issues or an unsuitable style. Furthermore, lack of training on HPD fitting technique can lead to poor attenuation of HPDs. Aims: The purpose of this study was to measure the noise levels within three factories through sound-level measurement and noise dosimetry, and assess the employees’ workday to recommend the correct class of hearing protection devices (HPDs). It then looked to investigate the effects of an intervention where employees selected their own HPDs from a range of options and were trained how to use it. Methods: Noise-maps were created through sound-level measurements and noise dosimetry. The employers provided information on their current methods of HPD provision processes. Factory employees completed a questionnaire to assess the use and any barriers to the use of their current HPDs. The questionnaire also assessed employee hearing protection device behaviours, attitudes and knowledge about hearing loss. After a recommendation of HPD was provided for each employee, the workers were given the style of their choice and taught how to fit it. The questionnaire was also provided one-week and two-months after the intervention. Results: Findings showed a marginally significant increase in the supports-to-barriers ratio one week following the intervention and a further increase at the two-month point. Knowledge and attitudes towards hearing loss and noise did not change over time. There was a slight increase in hearing protection device behaviour following the intervention and this was maintained two months later. Conclusion: The most protection does not indicate optimal protection in the selection of HPD devices and employers need to be informed on how overprotection can lead to poor HPD self-reported behaviours. High peak level noise is detrimental to overprotection and should be investigated. Furthermore, there is a lack of lower class HPD styles on the market, affecting the implementation of selection intervention programmes. Training contributed to the increase in the supports-to-barriers ratio, as this support specifically increased following the intervention. Evidence-based selection and training programmes are important to improve supports, and decrease barriers to HPD use in the workplace.

Download or read book Hearing Conservation written by Vishakha Rawool and published by Thieme. This book was released on 2011-09-19 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health, approximately 30 million employees are exposed to dangerous noise levels at work and an additional nine million workers are at risk for hearing loss from other ototoxins such as metals and solvents. Millions of children and young adults are also at risk for noise-induced hearing loss in non-occupational settings. Hearing Conservation: In Occupational, Recreational, Education, and Home Settingsis the most current text to cover all major topics related to noise-induced hearing loss, including the military, construction, manufacturing, mining, transportation, the music industry, the home environment, education settings, and recreational arenas. From the underlying principles of hearing loss to audiometric testing procedures to assessment of hearing conservation programs, this book is packed with information for audiologists and other members of the interdisciplinary team who provide hearing conservation services for at-risk groups.Special Features: Many examples of audiometric data, that enhance understanding of all types of hearing impairment, test procedures, and standard threshold shift calculations Protocols for comprehensive audiological, tinnitus, and auditory processing evaluations Clinical pathways and follow-up action steps when a standard threshold shift is confirmed, including decisions about worker compensation in occupational settings Assessment of the effectiveness of a wide range of hearing conservation programs and correction of deficiencies, along with training, educational, and motivational techniques The most current information about hearing protection and enhancement devices, related regulations, selection and fitting, and training workers in how to use them for optimal results A set of discussion questions at the end of each chapter that stimulate review and classroom dialogue Comprehensive in scope, easily accessible, and useful to both clinicians and investigators,Hearing Conservation: In Occupational, Recreational, Education, and Home Settings is essential for audiologists, occupational hearing conservationists, otolaryngologists, internists, occupational nurses, noise control engineers, and any other practitioner who plays a role in developing, implementing, and maintaining hearing conservation measures. It is also an excellent text for graduate level audiology courses in hearing conservation.

Download or read book The Effects of Experimenter Versus Subject Fit and Subject Training on Hearing Protector Attenuation written by Kimberly A. Payne and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Controlling Noise at Work written by and published by HSE Books. This book was released on 2005 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduces a revised approach to the management and control of noise in the workplace. This book presents assessment and management of noise risks, practical advice on noise control, buying and hiring of quieter tools and machinery, selection and use of hearing protection and the development of health surveillance procedures.

Download or read book Technology for a Quieter America written by National Academy of Engineering and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-10-30 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exposure to noise at home, at work, while traveling, and during leisure activities is a fact of life for all Americans. At times noise can be loud enough to damage hearing, and at lower levels it can disrupt normal living, affect sleep patterns, affect our ability to concentrate at work, interfere with outdoor recreational activities, and, in some cases, interfere with communications and even cause accidents. Clearly, exposure to excessive noise can affect our quality of life. As the population of the United States and, indeed, the world increases and developing countries become more industrialized, problems of noise are likely to become more pervasive and lower the quality of life for everyone. Efforts to manage noise exposures, to design quieter buildings, products, equipment, and transportation vehicles, and to provide a regulatory environment that facilitates adequate, cost-effective, sustainable noise controls require our immediate attention. Technology for a Quieter America looks at the most commonly identified sources of noise, how they are characterized, and efforts that have been made to reduce noise emissions and experiences. The book also reviews the standards and regulations that govern noise levels and the federal, state, and local agencies that regulate noise for the benefit, safety, and wellness of society at large. In addition, it presents the cost-benefit trade-offs between efforts to mitigate noise and the improvements they achieve, information sources available to the public on the dimensions of noise problems and their mitigation, and the need to educate professionals who can deal with these issues. Noise emissions are an issue in industry, in communities, in buildings, and during leisure activities. As such, Technology for a Quieter America will appeal to a wide range of stakeholders: the engineering community; the public; government at the federal, state, and local levels; private industry; labor unions; and nonprofit organizations. Implementation of the recommendations in Technology for a Quieter America will result in reduction of the noise levels to which Americans are exposed and will improve the ability of American industry to compete in world markets paying increasing attention to the noise emissions of products.

Download or read book Hearing Loss written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-12-17 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. The Social Security Administration (SSA) operates programs that provide cash disability benefits to people with permanent impairments like hearing loss, if they can show that their impairments meet stringent SSA criteria and their earnings are below an SSA threshold. The National Research Council convened an expert committee at the request of the SSA to study the issues related to disability determination for people with hearing loss. This volume is the product of that study. Hearing Loss: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits reviews current knowledge about hearing loss and its measurement and treatment, and provides an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the current processes and criteria. It recommends changes to strengthen the disability determination process and ensure its reliability and fairness. The book addresses criteria for selection of pure tone and speech tests, guidelines for test administration, testing of hearing in noise, special issues related to testing children, and the difficulty of predicting work capacity from clinical hearing test results. It should be useful to audiologists, otolaryngologists, disability advocates, and others who are concerned with people who have hearing loss.

Download or read book Noise and Military Service written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2006-01-20 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Institute of Medicine carried out a study mandated by Congress and sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide an assessment of several issues related to noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus associated with service in the Armed Forces since World War II. The resulting book, Noise and Military Service: Implications for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, presents findings on the presence of hazardous noise in military settings, levels of noise exposure necessary to cause hearing loss or tinnitus, risk factors for noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, the timing of the effects of noise exposure on hearing, and the adequacy of military hearing conservation programs and audiometric testing. The book stresses the importance of conducting hearing tests (audiograms) at the beginning and end of military service for all military personnel and recommends several steps aimed at improving the military services' prevention of and surveillance for hearing loss and tinnitus. The book also identifies research needs, emphasizing topics specifically related to military service.

Download or read book Hearing Health Care for Adults written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2016-10-06 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The loss of hearing - be it gradual or acute, mild or severe, present since birth or acquired in older age - can have significant effects on one's communication abilities, quality of life, social participation, and health. Despite this, many people with hearing loss do not seek or receive hearing health care. The reasons are numerous, complex, and often interconnected. For some, hearing health care is not affordable. For others, the appropriate services are difficult to access, or individuals do not know how or where to access them. Others may not want to deal with the stigma that they and society may associate with needing hearing health care and obtaining that care. Still others do not recognize they need hearing health care, as hearing loss is an invisible health condition that often worsens gradually over time. In the United States, an estimated 30 million individuals (12.7 percent of Americans ages 12 years or older) have hearing loss. Globally, hearing loss has been identified as the fifth leading cause of years lived with disability. Successful hearing health care enables individuals with hearing loss to have the freedom to communicate in their environments in ways that are culturally appropriate and that preserve their dignity and function. Hearing Health Care for Adults focuses on improving the accessibility and affordability of hearing health care for adults of all ages. This study examines the hearing health care system, with a focus on non-surgical technologies and services, and offers recommendations for improving access to, the affordability of, and the quality of hearing health care for adults of all ages.

Download or read book Comparison of Personal Attenuation Ratings Attained by Agricultural and Industrial Workers for Four Hearing Protection Types Using the 3M E A RFIT Dual Validation System written by Christie De Vito and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the enactment of hearing protection laws and recommended standards over the last four decades, the prevalence of hearing loss among workers has remained unchanged. Limiting the amount of time spend in high noise areas, as well as wearing hearing protection devices, can reduce the effects of noise on hearing loss. Though research has examined the consistency of use of hearing protection devices (HPD) among workers, the importance of fit, and a real-world comparison to the marketed attenuation needed further examination. The goal of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of HPDs used by agricultural and industrial workers enrolled in a hearing conservation program by comparing personal attenuation rating (PAR) to the manufacturer's reported noise reduction rating (NRR). The two study groups were selected since workplaces are required to train workers enrolled in an OSHA Hearing Conservation Program on proper insertion techniques, but farmers do not typically receive any training on using hearing protection unless they are employed elsewhere. The effectiveness of the inserted HPDs were quantified via the 3M E-A-RfitTM Dual Ear Validation System, and the results were compared to the NRR provided by the manufacturer. The fit of hearing protection was evaluated for 60 farmers (247 plug pairs) and 76 workers (275 plug pairs), using four models of earplugs (two formable and two non-formable). The results show that although formable ear plugs have higher reported NRRs, a higher percentage of participants achieved PARs greater than or equal to the A-weighted adjusted NRR-7 for the non-formable plugs.

Download or read book Hearing Protection Devices Performance Selection Care and Use written by Canadian Standards Association and published by Canadian Standards Association. This book was released on 2002 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Attenuation of Passive Hearing Protection Devices as a Function of Group Versus Individual Training written by Antony R. Joseph and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 486 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Handbook of Acoustics written by Malcolm J. Crocker and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 1998-03-09 with total page 1494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acoustical engineers, researchers, architects, and designers need a comprehensive, single-volume reference that provides quick and convenient access to important information, answers and questions on a broad spectrum of topics, and helps solve the toughest problems in acoustical design and engineering. The Handbook of Acoustics meets that need. It offers concise coverage of the science and engineering of acoustics and vibration. In more than 100 clearly written chapters, experts from around the world share their knowledge and expertise in topics ranging from basic aerodynamics and jet noise to acoustical signal processing, and from the interaction of fluid motion and sound to infrasound, ultrasonics, and quantum acoustics. Topics covered include: * General linear acoustics * Nonlinear acoustics and cavitation * Aeroacoustics and atmospheric sound * Mechanical vibrations and shock * Statistical methods in acoustics * Architectural acoustics * Physiological acoustics * Underwater sound * Ultrasonics, quantum acoustics, and physical aspects of sound * Noise: its effects and control * Acoustical signal processing * Psychological acoustics * Speech communication * Music and musical acoustics * Acoustical measurements and instrumentation * Transducers The Handbook of Acoustics belongs on the reference shelf of every engineer, architect, research scientist, or designer with a professional interest in the propagation, control, transmission, and effects of sound.

Download or read book Occupational Noise Exposure written by Department of Health and Human Services and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2014-02-19 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress declared that its purpose was to assure, so far as possible, safe and healthful working conditions for every working man and woman and to preserve our human resources. In this Act, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is charged with recommending occupational safety and health standards and describing exposure concentrations that are safe for various periods of employment-including but not limited to concentrations at which no worker will suffer diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his or her work experience. By means of criteria documents, NIOSH communicates these recommended standards to regulatory agencies (including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]) and to others in the occupational safety and health community. Criteria documents provide the scientific basis for new occupational safety and health standards. These documents generally contain a critical review of the scientific and technical information available on the prevalence of hazards, the existence of safety and health risks, and the adequacy of control methods. In addition to transmitting these documents to the Department of Labor, NIOSH also distributes them to health professionals in academic institutions, industry, organized labor, public interest groups, and other government agencies. In 1972, NIOSH published Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Noise, which provided the basis for a recommended standard to reduce the risk of developing permanent hearing loss as a result of occupational noise exposure [NIOSH 1972]. NIOSH has now evaluated the latest scientific information and has revised some of its previous recommendations. The 1998 recommendations go beyond attempting to conserve hearing by focusing on preventing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This criteria document reevaluates and reaffirms the recommended exposure limit (REL) for occupational noise exposure established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 1972. The REL is 85 decibels, A-weighted, as an 8-hr time-weighted average (85 dBA as an 8-hr TWA). Exposures at or above this level are hazardous. By incorporating the 4000-Hz audiometric frequency into the definition of hearing impairment in the risk assessment, NIOSH has found an 8% excess risk of developing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) during a 40-year lifetime exposure at the 85-dBA REL. NIOSH has also found that scientific evidence supports the use of a 3-dB exchange rate for the calculation of TWA exposures to noise. The recommendations in this document go beyond attempts to conserve hearing by focusing on prevention of occupational NIHL. For workers whose noise exposures equal or exceed 85 dBA, NIOSH recommends a hearing loss prevention program (HLPP) that includes exposure assessment, engineering and administrative controls, proper use of hearing protectors, audiometric evaluation, education and motivation, recordkeeping, and program audits and evaluations. Audiometric evaluation is an important component of an HLPP. To provide early identification of workers with increasing hearing loss, NIOSH has revised the criterion for significant threshold shift to an increase of 15 dB in the hearing threshold level (HTL) at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, or 6000 Hz in either ear, as determined by two consecutive tests. To permit timely intervention and prevent further hearing losses in workers whose HTLs have increased because of occupational noise exposure, NIOSH no longer recommends age correction on individual audiograms.

Download or read book Building Maintenance Construction written by Clifford Rutherford and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Noise Manual written by Elliott H. Berger and published by AIHA. This book was released on 2003 with total page 810 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Topics covered include fundamentals of sound, vibration and hearing, elements of a hearing conservation program, noise interference and annoyance, regulations, standards and laws.

Download or read book Model Rules of Professional Conduct written by American Bar Association. House of Delegates and published by American Bar Association. This book was released on 2007 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

Download or read book Investigating Double Hearing Protection Using Human Subjects written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: