U.S. Navy sailors get help with hearing loss prevention through innovative program
Developer wins this year's Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award
Exposure to loud flight deck operations and noisy equipment takes a toll on U.S. Navy sailors: approximately one in four suffer from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). One man’s innovative and broad-based approach to the problem has earned him this year’s The Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award.
The multi-tiered program to NIHL among sailors developed by Kurt Yankaskas of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the NIHL Research Program maximized the use of various funding strategies within Department of the Navy and DoD and not only expanded partnerships, but also fostered collaborations among principal investigators. That’s according to NIOSH, the National Hearing Conservation Association and the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation, which present the award each year to someone who makes a significant contribution to the prevention of NIHL through effective practices or innovations to improve workplace safety.