Prevent Hearing Loss: Remember these critical components of a program
Those of us who work in the world of hearing conservation are familiar with the five aspects of program compliance -- exposure monitoring, hearing tests, training, personal protective equipment, and recordkeeping. To take our efforts to the level of hearing loss prevention, though, we should consider shooting for all A's.
The risk of hearing loss only becomes real to workers when it relates to each of them personally -- to their jobs and to their recreational activities. It's not enough to show a video demonstrating the physiology of noise-induced hearing loss. Workers must be provided with job-specific risk analyses, so that the risk of losing hearing on the job becomes personalized and real.