Page 10 - OHS, March 2022

PPE: HEARING PROTECTION
a distinct and difffferent pattern. But hearing tests are lagging indicators, capable only of showing damage that has already occurred.
Personal Hearing Protection Devices
HPDs are PPE for the ears. They come in two basic types, passive— think simple earplug or muff—or active, like noise cancelling headsets. These come in many shapes, sizes and forms and innovations continue. Many forms and sizes exist because every person’s ears are different. Any HPD must fit properly to do the job— even the smallest gap in fit between the earplug and the ear canal greatly diminishes the amount of noise reduction provided, despite the high Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) printed on the box.
The most important innovation in the history of HPDs is the result of the same technology impacting all parts of our lives: IoT, or the Internet of Things. This has resulted in the development of smart PPE for hearing loss prevention. In a moment we’ll tie it all together to illustrate the multiple ways smart PPE addresses the shortcomings of any Hearing Conservation Program.
Education and Motivation,
Record Keeping and Program Evaluation
Workers who understand the importance of wearing their earplugs or muffs are far more likely to use them in high noise areas. Yet, they may not always know when to use them, especially where noise is highly intermittent but extreme, such as construction and demolition. Records are kept, proving that workers have been given hearing tests, trained in proper use of PPE and what type of PPE they may use, plus what the measured noise exposure levels were. At the end of it all, the HCP itself should be reviewed and evaluated for effectiveness.
So, if all these elements were put in place decades ago to eradicate ONIHL from the workplace, why are there so many hearing loss compensation claims?
The answer lies in the limitations of current methodology resulting in an HCP which ticks all the boxes but still doesn’t stop hearing loss. Much of the disconnect is because it’s nearly impossible to integrate the constituent parts of an HCP into actionable information that drives individual behavior on the job, in real time.
How Smart PPE Changes Everything
New approaches to HPD design include the ability to measure the level of noise actually reaching the eardrum, deep inside the ear canal, using a sensor into the hearing protector itself, resulting in dramatic improvements of the outcome. Here’s why:
Traditional noise measurements using a noise dosimeter or sound level meter are conducted a few times per year and often, not on every exposed worker. These measurements are required by OSHA and this will not change anytime soon. So while you may measure the noise near the ear at 93db(A) in a particular location and advise the worker to wear their HPDs, you can’t always confirm they have been worn consistently every day, or worn properly. Remember, even a small leak or the removal of an HPD for even a few minutes to talk on the phone, eat, etc. allows dangerous levels of energy to damage the ear.
Smart PPE overcomes this by assessing the sound level continuously throughout the shift, measuring potentially damaging
Smart PPE empowers program managers, supervisors and others responsible for ensuring safety protocols are followed.
sound energy where it actually counts—in the ear itself, under the HPD. Plus, it can determine if the HPD is providing enough protection, which can vary greatly from person to person, day to day, depending on how it is worn.
Versions of hearing protectors that measure decibels under the muff or plug have been on the market for some time and continue to grow in popularity. To date, none have been able to provide real-time feedback to the wearer. Future smart PPE for hearing protection will address this by delivering actionable insight to each worker.
Imagine you’re using smart HPDs and they alert you when you are near noise so loud your earplugs are no longer protecting you. Due to the notification, you’ll know right away to increase your protection to prevent damage. Maybe you’re working in a noisy area that’s not as extreme but end up working longer than expected, smart HPDs alert when you’re approaching your daily noise dose allotment. Smart HPDs also empower workers to take action before increased risk of hearing loss. Education and motivation are important considerations for a truly effective HCP—and smart HPDs support both.
Now, put yourself in the shoes of a Hearing Conservation Program manager, tasked with making sure everyone is trained and motivated plus taking OSHA compliant noise measurements on a regular basis. Things happen every day, sometimes events that you cannot control. You hope you got a ‘“representative noise sample” when you hung a dosimeter on an employee, but did you? And are workers really putting HPDs in every time they’re supposed to?
Smart PPE addresses those issues by empowering program managers, supervisors and others responsible for ensuring safety protocols are followed, and no injury occurs. By sending alerts to supervisors via text or email, they can educate and support proper PPE use as needed.
Hearing loss can take years of exposure to create a compensable injury and those years are made up of individual daily decisions workers and managers can make to prevent tinnitus, hearing loss and other related illnesses and injuries.
Everyone benefits from injury prevention. That’s why smart PPE is changing the way hearing conservation will be practiced in the new world of advanced safety technology.
Rob Brauch is President of Occupational Health and Safety Solutions and a CAOHC Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist involved with developing innovative methods and technologies for preventing Hearing Loss over four decades.
10 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2022 www.ohsonline.com