Masonry Magazine March 2007 Page. 50
HEARING PROTECTION
SOUND
MANAGEMENT
TECHNOLOGIES
Images © 2007 Aupiterimages Corporation
ACCORDING TO INDUSTRIAL AUDIOLOGIST BRAD WITT, THE DAYS OF STRIVING TO DEVELOP HEARING PROTECTION DEVICES (HPDS) THAT COULD SIMPLY BLOCK THE MOST SOUND ARE OVER. "Today, the focus is definitely more on sound management on attenuating the hazardous noise to a level that still allows communication and warning signal detection," said Witt, who is audiology and regulatory affairs manager for the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group.
"In noise-hazardous environments, we are not trying to eliminate all sound," Witt said. "There are still sounds we want to hear, such as co-worker voices, warning signals, mobile radios and even some machinery noise that may alert us to malfunction or maintenance needs. Wearing high attenuation protectors without regard to communication creates a feeling of hazardous isolation, being cut off from the verbal and audible cues that keep us safe and connected with our work."
By Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group
48 Masonry
March 2007
www.masoncontractors.org