Hearing Conservation

The most current and comprehensive text to cover hearing conservation programs in occupational, non-occupational, and educational settings 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 Settings is 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 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.

Save your workers' hearing and save your company money by making your hearing conservation programs (HCPs) more effective. This unique, easy-to-read book provides the essentials for creating an effective hearing conservation program, details how to best organize your people to get the job done, and identifies the specific aspects within each phase of your program that spell the difference between success and failure. New procedures are described that allow management to identify problems and solve them to achieve a more cost-effective HCP. The book also discusses audiometric database analysis, presents valuable information for dealing with workers' compensation issues - both preventing claims and defending against them, and includes checklists and checklist summaries to assist you with a practical implementation of a hearing conservation program in your company. The ideas and information presented in this book are based on the authors' 35 years of combined experience in assisting industries implement effective HCPs, in addition to field studies at hundreds of industrial sites. This book will be especially valuable for management professionals, industrial hygienists, safety professionals, audiologists, plant engineers, company lawyers, personnel directors, occupational health nurses, occupational physicians, noise control engineers, workers, and others who are interested in hearing conservation in the workplace.

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.

Noise, or unwanted sound, is one of the most pervasive occupational health problems. Exposure to high levels of noise causes hearing loss and may cause other harmful health effects as well. Prolonged exposure to high noise levels over a period of time gradually causes permanent damage. The OSHA hearing conservation program will protect workers with significant occupational noise exposures from hearing impairment even if they are subject to such noise exposures over their entire working lifetimes. This publication summarizes the required component of OSHA¿s hearing conservation program for general industry. It covers monitoring, audiometric testing, hearing protectors, training, and recordkeeping requirements.