Despite having hearing conservation programs in place, the rate of hearing loss and high noise exposures for construction workers continues to persist. The synergistic effect of ototoxic exposures add to the potential for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The purpose of this presentation is to cover several best practices in Hearing Conservation that can help improve outcomes specific to the construction industry. A recent study in Occupational Medicine showed the impact of using various methods to reduce the rate of standard threshold shifts, such as engineering controls, training, and fit testing. While hearing protection devices are often a commonly deployed control, newer technologies can help to overcome audibility loss experienced with passive hearing devices, including solutions for workers already experiencing a hearing loss.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify one barrier to using hearing protection effectively in the construction industry
2. Describe the term audibility and how hearing contributes to worker performance.
3. Give one example of a best practice in hearing loss prevention programs for construction workers.
May 7, 2020 12:00 PM in Central Time (US and Canada)