Welcome to the Reference section.  Here we provide you with general information about Occupational Hearing Loss Prevention.   We hope you find it of value.

Press Release On: A National Communication Planning Meeting, Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss for the Public and the Worker, December 1, 1998 The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with the National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is preparing a national campaign to promote the idea that each worker and employer should be aware of the importance and value of our hearing ability. This campaign recognizes that hearing health is not currently a national priority, while the average citizen is exposed to more noise risks than ever before. Yet, few people are motivated to take the necessary self-protective actions to protect their hearing.  This makes it more difficult for employers to promote hearing healthy behaviors in the workforce. Click the link to learn more.
PREVENTING OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS -- A PRACTICAL GUIDE
 This is NIOSH's current 'Best-Practice-Guide' describing the elements of an effective Hearing Loss Prevention Process.

Provided courtesy of NIOSH.
Acoustical Society of America, Meeting June 1998
Session-Noise and Engineering Acoustics, Invited Paper Sound Exposure Profiling		 Assessment of worker sound exposure based on incremental task sound levels has a history dating back to the earliest days of recognition of noise as a hearing hazard. Sound exposure profiling (SEP) uses current technology to compile task-based sound measurements to model long-term risk of exposure to hazardous noise. SEP is an alternative to full-shift dosimeter techniques for sound exposure assessment. The methodology offers the advantage of providing additional information about noise sources and how worker interaction with the noise sources results in long term risk. SEP has been adopted by major corporations as their corporate strategy for assessment of worker sound exposure and is supported in ANSI S12.19-1997, "Measurement of Occupational Noise Exposure." This paper describes SEP and its applications to industry.
AIHCE 1998-The Hearing Conservation Amendment on Trial The 1998 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition was held in Atlanta, GA.  Here we provide some of the presentations made in the May 12 roundtable "The Hearing Conservation Amendment:  Has it Protected the American Worker?"
NIOSH Workshop:
Control of Workplace Hazards for the 21st Century: Setting the Research Agenda.		 This workshop, sponsored by NIOSH, AIHA, and ASSE was held on March 10-12 1998 in Chicago, IL.  The workshop goal was to develop a prioritized national control technology research agenda aimed at making workplaces safer and healthier.
NORA Report:
Occupational Hearing Loss		 National Occupational Research Agenda report on Occupational Hearing Loss

Available in Microsoft WORD 95 or WordPerfect format.

ANSI S12.19-1996 Measurement of Occupational Noise Exposure A review of key concepts in this standard which forms the 'Best-Practice ' guide for occupational noise monitoring programs.
Key Concepts in Risk Assessment using Profiling/T-Beam methods Excerpts from a staff level training program on state-of-the art sound exposure risk assessment methods.
Key Concepts in Noise Control Awareness Training Excerpts from a staff level training program on basics of noise control for staff and skilled trades.
Hearing Loss Prevention as Business Process The slides and speaker notes from one of the presenters at the AIHCE 98 Roundtable that put the OSHA Hearing Conservation Amendment on Trial. 
After 30 years of occupational noise regulations should businesses have integrated hearing health policies into their regular business plan?  This presentation makes the case that it could and should have been an integral part of all business processes.  A real thought provoking presentation!
OSHA revises hearing protection rules. OSHA document highlighting the changes necessary to estimate real-world attenuation values for hearing protection, including the use of subject-fit testing.