In an effort to head off hearing loss – particularly among young people -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has launched a quarter-million dollar effort to warn of the dangers of using personal listening devices (PLDs) at high volumes.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in partnership with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), has announced this year’s winners of the Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards™.

Hearing loss is common and, in young persons, can compromise social development, communication skills, and educational achievement. A survey was conducted to examine the current prevalence of hearing loss in U.S. adolescents and determine whether it has changed over time, with results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Hearing loss that occurs gradually as you age (presbycusis) is common, according to the Mayo Clinic. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated one-third of people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 75 and close to one-half of those older than 75 have some degree of hearing loss.

On Tuesday afternoon, October 23, National Safety Congress and Expo attendees had the chance to see and hear Colin Duncan, CEO of BST, deliver a keynote address. Colin is responsible for driving BST’s global strategy, corporate vision, and the innovation of new methodologies and approaches to deliver sustainable safety improvements to clients the world over.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards. ™ The awards are given by NIOSH in partnership with the National Hearing Conservation Association to recognize excellence in hearing loss prevention.

Are you a hearing conservation hero? Have you instituted a program in your workplace to help employees avoid hearing loss (or do you know someone who has?)

An Ohio safety professional said winning a high-profile award for a hearing loss prevention program she created has allowed her to build on her success and expand the program.

The term "blindness" can have many connotations and is difficult to define precisely. To many people, blindness refers to the complete loss of vision with no remaining perception of light.