2019 NHCA Annual Conference

Hearing is a critical sense for individuals in many jobs, work places, and other occupationally-related processes. However, noise can interfere with detecting, identifying, and localizing sounds as well as communication. Instituting noise controls is the primary method to reduce exposure and allow critical sounds to be heard, though administrative controls and personal protective equipment are often necessary. Hearing protection devices (HPDs) with newer technologies have been introduced with capabilities to localize sounds and improve speech intelligibility beyond what older HPDs could provide.  Knowing what criteria to use to assess HPD capabilities and when to select newer HPDs is a new challenge for hearing conservation programs.  Participants in this course will learn how to identify hearing critical tasks (HCT) in the work place, how HPDs differ in their ability to suppress different types of noise, what assessment methods are being used to determine localization, and how to select hearing protection based upon all the information.  Participants will also learn how to instruct hearing protection users on selecting HPDs appropriate for the task.