Every day, workers everywhere are exposed to noise during their workday that may be loud enough - or occasionally loud enough - to be damaging to their hearing. Without adequate protection and procedures, long-term damage can occur. This is why workplace safety, and hearing conservation programs, are essential for long-term health and well-being.
Sound is a constant presence in our everyday lives. We are always exposed to noise from a wide variety of sources — the radio, television, traffic, family, friends, colleagues, etc. This kind of noise generally presents no risk, and shouldn’t cause any kind of damage to our hearing. But when that noise we are exposed to becomes too loud it can become dangerous. Both brief bursts or consistent exposure pose a threat to one’s overall hearing health. It can cause damage to the sensitive structures in the inner ear and ultimately result in some level of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).The consequence of consistent exposure to loud noise
As the end of summer quickly approaches, I can’t help but feel these last few months of 2017 will start to fly right past us. Before we know it, it will be 2018 and that means a whole new year of conferences! It’s never too early to start planning in my opinion, and I’ve been keeping a running list of events to investigate further. But I thought I’d share the top 5 occupational hearing conservation conferences that we are considering for 2018. Whether we exhibit, present, or simply attend, we are interested in getting involved in some way for each show. Not only are we excited to share news about SHOEBOX Audiometry with all the amazing people we meet at these events, but we can’t wait to learn from the best and brightest in the occupational hearing conservation industry.
Audiometric testing is an important component of an occupational hearing conservation program. It is the process of tracking and managing a worker’s hearing health over time. The programs starts with the production of a baseline audiogram, followed by annual hearing testing, protection training, and follow-up procedures.
In the 7 years since Apple released the first iPad®, how we connect, communicate, receive and share information has changed in ways we could not have imagined. Nearly every industry – from automotive to music, retail, publishing, education, construction, even farming has taken notice. They have found ways to leverage the mobility of tablet technology and take advantage of these powerful computing devices. Even healthcare – an industry notoriously slow to adopt new technology – has found in the tablet a device that many physicians like for its portability, long battery life, and ease of use.
In the late 1950’s portable audiometers were developed as an effort to reach populations without access to hearing tests conducted in controlled environments by highly trained professionals. At their least impressive, a portable audiometer is a stripped down tabletop audiometer with a handle attached. Notably, many rugged systems have been successfully used throughout the world in challenging environments. To a large extent, these portable audiometers still require a power plug and a modicum of expertise to operate. With the advent of mobile technology, we have witnessed the transformation of dated, portable audiometers into a new breed of powerful, simple-to-use, internet-connected mobile audiometers.
