89. Emerging Hearing Conservation Issues and Innovative Workplace Safety Accommodations for Emergency Response and General Workplace Situations for the Hearing Impaired Worker

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Gabry
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Hearing Conservation

scholarly journals Gender and other factors associated with the use of hearing protection devices at work

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiane Costa Meira ◽  
Vilma Sousa Santana ◽  
Silvia Ferrite
Keyword(s):  
Workplace Safety ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Hearing Protection ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hearing Conservation ◽  
Perceived Safety ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Protection Devices

OBJECTIVE To analyze whether sociodemographic, occupational, and health-related data are associated with the use of hearing protection devices at work, according to gender. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2006, using a random sample of 2,429 workers, aged between 18 and 65 years old, from residential sub-areas in Salvador, BA, Northeastern Brazil. Questionnaires were used to obtain sociodemographic, occupational, and health-related data. Workers who reported that they worked in places where they needed to shout in order to be heard were considered to be exposed to noise. Exposed workers were asked whether they used hearing protection devices, and if so, how frequently. Analyses were conducted according to gender, with estimates made about prevalence of the use of hearing protection devices, prevalence ratios, and their respective 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS Twelve percent (12.3%) of study subjects reported that they were exposed to noise while working. Prevalence of the use of hearing protection devices was 59.3% for men and 21.4% for women. Men from higher socioeconomic levels (PR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.14;1.90) and who had previous audiometric tests (PR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.15;1.88) were more likely to use hearing protection devices. For women, greater perceived safety was associated with the use of protection devices (PR = 2.92; 95%CI 1.34;6.34). This perception was specifically related to the presence of supervisors committed to safety (PR = 2.09; 95%CI 1.04;4.21), the existence of clear rules to prevent workplace injuries (PR = 2.81; 95%CI 1.41;5.59), and whether they were informed about workplace safety (PR = 2.42; 95%CI 1.23;4.76). CONCLUSIONS There is a gender bias regarding the use of hearing protection devices that is less favorable to women. The use of such devices among women is positively influenced by their perception of a safe workplace, suggesting that gender should be considered as a factor in hearing conservation programs.

Workplace Safety and Worker Productivity: Evidence from the MINER Act

ILR Review ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 001979392093149
Author(s):  
Ling Li
Keyword(s):  
Event Study ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Productivity Loss ◽  
Coal Mines ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
Workplace Injuries ◽  
Worker Productivity ◽  
Monetary Value ◽  
Safety Regulations ◽  
Safety Enforcement

This study examines the effect of safety enforcement on workplace injuries and worker productivity in coal mines. The author exploits the introduction of a “flagrant” violation standard—with penalties of up to 0.22 million dollars per violation—established by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006. Using an event-study model, the author finds that after the issuance of a flagrant violation, the workplace injuries decreased significantly by 20% and miner productivity decreased by 6%. The results suggest that the monetary value of the productivity loss is 1.3 times the costs saved from fewer injuries, which highlights the costs of workplace safety regulations.

scholarly journals Challenges in Hearing Conservation—The Hearing-Impaired Worker

AAOHN Journal ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 348-348
Author(s):  
Stephanie Chalupka
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Hearing Protection ◽  
Hearing Conservation

Hearing-impaired workers face special challenges in the workplace, including communicating and identifying and using appropriate hearing protection.

Teacher Identification of Elementary School Children with Hearing Loss

1978 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard H. Nodar
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
School Children ◽  
Elementary School Children ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Teacher Interviews ◽  
Teacher Screening ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Problems

The teachers of 2231 elementary school children were asked to identify those with known or suspected hearing problems. Following screening, the data were compared. Teachers identified 5% of the children as hearing-impaired, while screening identified only 3%. There was agreement between the two procedures on 1%. Subsequent to the teacher interviews, rescreening and tympanometry were conducted. These procedures indicated that teacher screening and tympanometry were in agreement on 2% of the total sample or 50% of the hearing-loss group. It was concluded that teachers could supplement audiometry, particularly when otoscopy and typanometry are not available.

Systematic Modification of Parental Input to Train Language Symbols

1981 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Culatta ◽  
Donna Horn
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Meaningful Use ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Parental Input ◽  
Language Exposure ◽  
Therapy Sessions ◽  
Impaired Children ◽  
Hearing Impaired Children ◽  
At Home

This study attempted to maximize environmental language learning for four hearing-impaired children. The children's mothers were systematically trained to present specific language symbols to their children at home. An increase in meaningful use of these words was observed during therapy sessions. In addition, as the mothers began to generalize the language exposure strategies, an increase was observed in the children's use of words not specifically identified by the clinician as targets.

Equivalent Noise Dose Obtained Through Hearing Aids in the Classrooms of Hearing-Impaired Children

1990 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-150
Author(s):  
Ronald A. Wilde
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Impaired Children ◽  
Very High ◽  
Hearing Impaired Children

A commercial noise dose meter was used to estimate the equivalent noise dose received through high-gain hearing aids worn in a school for deaf children. There were no significant differences among nominal SSPL settings and all SSPL settings produced very high equivalent noise doses, although these are within the parameters of previous projections.

Hearing Conservation in Hunter Education Programs

1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles M. Woodford ◽  
Norman J. Lass
Keyword(s):  
Education Programs ◽  
Hearing Conservation

Noise-Induced Balance Loss? Rethinking Clinical Implications of Noise Exposure

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1418-1422
Author(s):  
Bre Myers ◽  
J. Andrew Dundas
Keyword(s):  
Vestibular System ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Hearing Conservation ◽  
Exposed Population ◽  
Auditory Systems ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Balance Loss ◽  
Cross System

Purpose The primary aim of the current article is to provide a brief review of the literature regarding the effects of noise exposure on the vestibular and balance control systems. Although the deleterious effects of noise on the auditory system are widely known and continue to be an active area of research, much less is known regarding the effects of noise on the peripheral vestibular system. Audiologists with working knowledge of how both systems interact and overlap are better prepared to provide comprehensive care to more patients as assessment of both the auditory and vestibular systems has been in the audiologists' scope of practice since 1992. Method A narrative review summarizes salient findings from the archival literature. Results Temporary and permanent effects on vestibular system function have been documented in multiple studies. Hearing conservation, vestibular impairment, and fall risk reduction may be more intimately related than previously considered. Conclusions A full appreciation of both the vestibular and auditory systems is necessary to address the growing and aging noise-exposed population. More cross-system studies are needed to further define the complex relationship between the auditory and vestibular systems to improve comprehensive patient care.

Hearing Aid Amplification Reduces Communication Effort of People With Hearing Impairment and Their Conversation Partners

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1299-1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Beechey ◽  
Jörg M. Buchholz ◽  
Gitte Keidser
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Referential Communication ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Directional Hearing ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Communication Task ◽  
Acoustic Environments ◽  
The Impact

Objectives This study investigates the hypothesis that hearing aid amplification reduces effort within conversation for both hearing aid wearers and their communication partners. Levels of effort, in the form of speech production modifications, required to maintain successful spoken communication in a range of acoustic environments are compared to earlier reported results measured in unaided conversation conditions. Design Fifteen young adult normal-hearing participants and 15 older adult hearing-impaired participants were tested in pairs. Each pair consisted of one young normal-hearing participant and one older hearing-impaired participant. Hearing-impaired participants received directional hearing aid amplification, according to their audiogram, via a master hearing aid with gain provided according to the NAL-NL2 fitting formula. Pairs of participants were required to take part in naturalistic conversations through the use of a referential communication task. Each pair took part in five conversations, each of 5-min duration. During each conversation, participants were exposed to one of five different realistic acoustic environments presented through highly open headphones. The ordering of acoustic environments across experimental blocks was pseudorandomized. Resulting recordings of conversational speech were analyzed to determine the magnitude of speech modifications, in terms of vocal level and spectrum, produced by normal-hearing talkers as a function of both acoustic environment and the degree of high-frequency average hearing impairment of their conversation partner. Results The magnitude of spectral modifications of speech produced by normal-hearing talkers during conversations with aided hearing-impaired interlocutors was smaller than the speech modifications observed during conversations between the same pairs of participants in the absence of hearing aid amplification. Conclusions The provision of hearing aid amplification reduces the effort required to maintain communication in adverse conditions. This reduction in effort provides benefit to hearing-impaired individuals and also to the conversation partners of hearing-impaired individuals. By considering the impact of amplification on both sides of dyadic conversations, this approach contributes to an increased understanding of the likely impact of hearing impairment on everyday communication.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document