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your hearing health
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Noise induced hearing loss
An estimated 10 million EU/US workers suer from noise-induced hearing
loss (NIHL). And 16% of all the disabling hearing loss in adults is attributed to
occupational noise (Nelson et al. 2005). e bad news is that once this hearing loss
has occurred, it is usually permanent. e good news is that it is preventable. ose
who have hearing loss nd it socially isolating and wish they would have taken steps to
prevent it when they had the chance. Hopefully you have that chance now.
Regulations to measure and limit the energy going into your ears
EU and US regulations (Directive 2003/10/EC and 29 CFR 1910.95 respectively)
require that employers limit the amount of sound energy going into workers ears
to safe levels. In the EU, this requirement also applies to self-employed people like
musicians. e specied regulatory levels have been determined from hearing research
collected over years. Both US and EU regulations require monitoring noise levels, the
US regualtions state:
“Where circumstances such as high worker mobility, signicant variations in sound
level, or a signicant component of impulse noise make area monitoring generally
inappropriate, the employer shall use representative personal sampling to comply with
the monitoring requirements of this paragraph unless the employer can show that area
sampling produces equivalent results.” - 1910.95(d)(1)(ii)
your hearing health
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
e soundBadge is designed to measure a personal noise dose. e dose can be used to
demonstrate regulatory compliance for your organization or to provide information
needed to design a compliant hearing conservation program. More importantly,
we believe that when individuals know their own dose, it helps protect them from
overexposure and NIHL. e soundBadge is EU and US compliant, however, Audio3
Ltd. recommends that US organizations adopt the stricter EU regulations which are
based on more defensible hearing research.
Wear hearing protection
Audio3 Ltd. recommends you wear hearing protection to limit your ears’ sound
exposure to safe levels when measured dose levels are high. Data from the soundBadge
can help determine the most appropriate type of hearing protection.
Schedule hearing checkups
Audio3 Ltd. recommends you schedule hearing tests with accredited audiologists as
part of your hearing conservation program.
NIHL and musicians
In 2008, Noise at Work Regulations (Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 1643)—
previously only applicable to industry—came into force for EU musicians. e
regulation requires that musicians monitor their own noise exposure. e soundBadge
gives all the information needed to limit noise/music exposure to a safe level.
