These are stressful and uncertain times. As we monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, everyone should be concerned with minimizing the spread of infection. Doing everything possible to best protect patients, coworkers, themselves and their families. We are all in this together, and the following information can help provide guidance on best practices as they pertain to infection control.
At SHOEBOX, we’re proud of the reputation we’ve earned for helping to modernize occupational hearing testing. Thanks to mobile technology, we’ve dragged testing out of the literal dark ages (cramped, uncomfortable sound-proof booths) and made it easy, accessible, and more affordable. But an essential element of a compliant program is the review that must take place after testing has occurred.
To round out our solution for Occupational Hearing Testing, we now offer Audiology Review Services delivered by an international network of regionally licensed reviewers. We are introducing the SHOEBOX Audiology Review Network.
Food is something that we can sometimes take for granted in today’s hectic and modern world. Millions of food production workers around the globe work tirelessly to ensure the food you and your family consume finds a home on your kitchen table.
Millions of workers are exposed to potentially damaging levels of noise on a daily basis and, when uncontrolled, this noise can cause life-altering hearing damage. The same can be said about the chemical agents found in many workplaces. Significant research has been devoted to understanding the negative impact that ototoxic chemicals (known as ototoxicants) can have on one’s hearing and balance. As with unsafe noise levels, a well-designed hearing conservation program will protect workers against hearing health issues resulting from exposure to ototoxicants.
Workplace hearing conservation programs are intended to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Providing hearing protection and educating employees on hearing conservation best practices are necessary safeguards. But employers must also monitor noise levels, provide annual hearing tests, and report any shifts in hearing levels over time.
Occupational hearing testing practices are in desperate need of innovation and modernization. Audiometers designed in the 1980s, printed records, old trucks with uncomfortable sound booths in back – these are all relics of the past and need to move aside for modern approaches that will bring improved efficiency, cost reduction, and better experiences for employees. In this article, we will describe the attributes of a modern hearing testing program and paint a vision for the future.
