Individual Fit Testing of Hearing Protection Devices. Voix, J. & Hager, L. D. The International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (JOSE), Vol. 15(No. 2):211--219, January, 2009. 00009
Individual Fit Testing of Hearing Protection Devices [link]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
While hearing protection devices (HPD) have been the last and often only line of defense against noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in the workplace, their performance has been suspect. Laboratory evaluations have not proven to predict actual performance of HPD in the field. Individual fit testing of HPD will allow the determination of HPD performance on individual workers, and this improve the ability to select HPD appropriate for given noise exposures and intervene with individual workers to ensure sufficiency in HPD performance. A modified microphone-in-real-ear process (MIRE), called Field-MIRE, has been adapted to test a variety of HPD quickly and reliably in situ. A dual-element microphone and software combination permits reliable noise reduction measurements. Statistically developed compensation factors permit direct comparison of Field-MIRE predicted personal attenuation ratings to traditional laboratory measures of HPD performance using real ear attenuation at threshold (REAT) assessments.
@article{ voix_individual_2009,
  title = {Individual Fit Testing of Hearing Protection Devices},
  volume = {Vol. 15},
  issn = {1080-3548},
  url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19534854},
  abstract = {While hearing protection devices ({HPD}) have been the last and often only line of defense against noise-induced hearing loss ({NIHL}) in the workplace, their performance has been suspect. Laboratory evaluations have not proven to predict actual performance of {HPD} in the field. Individual fit testing of {HPD} will allow the determination of {HPD} performance on individual workers, and this improve the ability to select {HPD} appropriate for given noise exposures and intervene with individual workers to ensure sufficiency in {HPD} performance. A modified microphone-in-real-ear process ({MIRE}), called Field-{MIRE}, has been adapted to test a variety of {HPD} quickly and reliably in situ. A dual-element microphone and software combination permits reliable noise reduction measurements. Statistically developed compensation factors permit direct comparison of Field-{MIRE} predicted personal attenuation ratings to traditional laboratory measures of {HPD} performance using real ear attenuation at threshold ({REAT}) assessments.},
  number = {No. 2},
  journal = {The International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics ({JOSE})},
  author = {Voix, Jérémie and Hager, Lee D.},
  month = {January},
  year = {2009},
  note = {00009},
  keywords = {Article, Ear Protective Devices, Ear Protective Devices: utilization, Equipment Failure, Humans, Noise, Occupational, Occupational Exposure, Occupational Exposure: prevention \& control, Occupational Health, Occupational: prevention \& control},
  pages = {211--219}
}

Downloads: 0