Hearing Loss Prevention

Ted K. Madison, M.A., CCC-A Audiologist
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Have You Heard?
News and announcements of interest
  

New Webinar Series:  Hearing Loss Prevention--The Basics
Posted September 30, 2011

As hearing conservationists, you need up-to-date information about noise measurement, audiometric testing, record keeping, hearing protection, motivating workers and how to put it all together for an effective hearing loss prevention program. Hearing Loss Prevention: The Basics webinar series is a great opportunity to get that information from experts in the field.  Presented by the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) and the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC).

 

Register today!! This informative series is made up of six sessions. Register for all six webinars and receive a $50.00 discount. ($250.00 series rate) Individual session rate is $50.00. Continuing education will be available for all webinars

 

Thursday, October 6, 2011
8:00 a.m. PST / 9:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. EST
Noise Measurement
This segment will provide an overview of the measurement and control of noise, including an introduction to that dear friend/archenemy of hearing loss prevention (the decibel), the equipment we use to measure noise (sound level meters, dosimeters, octave band analyzers, oh my!), how we can reduce noise exposures, and how all this relates to protecting people's hearing.
Presenter: Bob Bruce, PE INCE Bd. Cert

Thursday, November 17, 2011
8:00 a.m. PST / 9:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. EST
The Audiogram - How to Use It
The audiometric test is essentially the report card for the hearing loss prevention program. No worker's hearing has ever been preserved or protected because he or she took a hearing test. How we use that hearing test, how we convey the information, how we track the data becomes critical to the program. This session will go beyond just looking for standard threshold shift. It will provide the technician with information about obtaining a valid result, and will offer the professional supervisor insight into follow-up strategies.
Presenter: COL Lynnette Bardolf, Ph.D. - US Army

 Thursday, December 8, 2011
8:00 a.m. PST / 9:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. EST
Hearing Loss Recordability Issues
Identification of work-related hearing loss has long been one of the most complicated and controversial areas of government-mandated injury/illness recordkeeping. Effective in 2000, MSHA provided a new definition of "reportable" hearing loss in its revised noise standard, Part 62. OSHA also defined new criteria for recording occupational hearing loss with its recent revision to 29 CFR 1904 (effective in 2003, with a separate Form 300 column in effect January 1, 2004). This workshop presentation will focus on the basic requirements of MSHA and OSHA recordkeeping regulations, as well as implications for professional review of audiograms and determination of work-relatedness. Although compliance with recordkeeping rules is important to the ultimate goal of tracking incidence of work-related hearing loss, emphasis will also be placed on best practices for an effective hearing loss prevention program.
Presenter: Cindy Bloyer, MS, CCC-A, Examinetics, Inc.

Thursday, January 12, 2012
8:00 a.m. PST / 9:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. EST
Effective Hearing Protection
As hearing conservationists we can measure, assess, document, and counsel, but when it comes to effective intervention, an important tool, sometimes our only tool, is a hearing protector. Therefore it behooves us to become knowledgeable about the specification of hearing protection devices and their use in hearing conservation programs. This presentation will focus on hearing protector function, how they are tested and rated (with particular reference to the NRR), the performance gains available from the use of dual hearing protection and hearing protection as a problem solver.
Presenter: Theresa Schulz, Ph.D., CCC-A - Hearing Conservation Manager, Honeywell Safety Products -

 Thursday, February 9, 2012
8:00 a.m. PST / 9:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. EST
Education and Motivation
While the ideal solution to a noisy environment is to remove the noise, in many situations, it simply isn't possible. When this is the case, it's not enough to rely solely on compliance with regulations to reduce risk. We need to educate employees thoroughly on the benefits of hearing conservation and the crucial steps they should take to safeguard their hearing. Employees must participate actively for hearing conservation to be successful; we need to engage and interest them in their own protection. Effective hearing conservation cannot be achieved without the combined efforts of employers, supervisors, and the employees themselves. By focusing on the reasons behind hearing conservation, and providing some different approaches, we can better reach these individuals to make them a part of the solution to preventable hearing loss.
Presenter: Laurie Wells, Au.D., FAAA, PS/A - Associates in Acoustics, Inc.

 

Thursday, March 8, 2012
8:00 a.m. PST / 9:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. EST
Hearing Conservation Regulations and HIPAA
This portion of the workshop will provide attendees with an overview of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as it relates to the hearing conservation provider, including recordkeeping, maintaining compliance, and available resources. Also discussed will be a summary of Hearing Conservation Regulations including recordability differences between MSHA and OSHA.
Presenter: Nancy Gallihugh, M.S., CCC-A - Kalamazoo RESA -

Tinnitus and Hearing Protection: Fiction and Fact
Posted March 22, 2011


Tinnitus is a generic word for the perception of sound that is not associated with actual physical acoustic energy.  It seems to come from inside the head and lasts for at least a few minutes at a time. It is commonly described as ringing, chirping, roaring, buzzing, whooshing, hissing, frying bacon, peeping or something similar.  


Disease or symptom?

Tinnitus is an indicator of abnormal function, but it is not a disease in and of itself. In this way it is similar to headache, elevated blood pressure, or dizziness, each of which signals something is wrong with the body, but none is a disease. Although tinnitus has been studied extensively, the cause and mechanics of tinnitus are not well understood. Because the ear detects sound and the brain processes it, it is generally accepted that both the hearing mechanism and the brain are involved with the origination of tinnitus. Tinnitus is often associated with certain medications, but interestingly having tinnitus is not more common among people who consume caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol. Things like the condition of one’s health, noise exposure, and the degree of hearing loss are all correlated with the presence and the severity of tinnitus.


Tinnitus and hearing protection

Exposure to loud noise is one of the most common causes of hearing loss and chronic tinnitus. Proper use of hearing protection when you are exposed to loud noise is essential – especially if there is some hearing loss and tinnitus already present.  You should use hearing protection whenever it is so loud you must shout in order for the person next to you to hear you clearly (roughly 85 dBA), and especially in the presence of high-level impulse noise such as that produced by gunfire or explosions. Because loud sound can aggravate existing tinnitus, it may be advisable to use hearing protection at lower noise levels, for example when you have to talk loudly for the person at arms length from you to understand (roughly 80 dBA).  


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