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3M Hearing Conservation Webinar Series
3M Hearing is proud to offer a series of weekly webinars to help educate viewers on critical hearing conservation topics and solutions. Led by our 3M team with expertise in hearing conservation, and co-sponsored by the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety, these educational presentations are eligible to receive continuing education credits. Pre-registration is encouraged. Note that the schedule is subject to change.
Introducing 7-Elements of a Hearing Conservation Program: Regulatory Requirements and Best Practices
Thursday, April 30 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Dr. Laurie Wells, Au.D.
This webinar introduces the 7-Element Hearing Conservation Program framework. Starting from understanding the health effects of noise exposure and establishing the need for employer-driven hearing conservation programs, the presentation will then provide an overview of the federal regulatory requirements and offer some best practices for companies looking to enhance their policies and hearing loss prevention efforts.
Learning Objectives:
By participating in this webinar, the attendee will be able to:
Course Completed
Hearing Conservation and Construction
Thursday, May 7 12:00 – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Shari Franklin Smith, CIH, CSP
Despite having hearing conservation programs in place, the rate of hearing loss and high noise exposures for construction workers continues to persist. The synergistic effect of ototoxic exposures add to the potential for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The purpose of this presentation is to cover several best practices in Hearing Conservation that can help improve outcomes specific to the construction industry. A recent study in Occupational Medicine showed the impact of using various methods to reduce the rate of standard threshold shifts, such as engineering controls, training, and fit testing. While hearing protection devices are often a commonly deployed control, newer technologies can help when job tasks may require unique solutions to allow for greater ability to hear surrounding sounds and communicate more with other workers.
Objectives of this interactive session: Review the health effects of noise and ototoxic exposures. Review strategies to help enhance your hearing conservation program such as evaluation of fit, effective training, audibility risk assessments, and strategies to implement these effectively, including.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify one challenge to managing hearing protection program in the construction industry
- Describe the term audibility and how hearing contributes to worker performance.
- Give one example of a best practice in hearing loss prevention programs for construction workers.
- Describe one method for obtaining a representative noise exposure assessment for a worker.
- Name one example of when an A-weighting is applied when making noise measurements.
- Differentiate between an area sound level measurement and a noise exposure assessment.
- List four types of hearing protectors and one advantage of each type
- In addition to attenuation, describe three additional factors that may influence a decision about which hearing protector to choose for a given worker.
- Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of the NRR
- Calculate an estimated protected exposure according to OSHA regulations
- List two benefits of a PAR
- Describe three hearing protection selection criteria related to hearing and communication needs of noise exposed workers.
- Identify two technologies often found on Advanced Hearing Protection and Communication Devices.
- Define signal-to-noise ratio.
- Differentiate between an objective and a subjective fit test method
- Describe how OSHA has suggesting including fit testing as a way to meet current hearing conservation program requirements
- Name three evidence-based benefits of fit testing hearing protectors.
- Identify 3 common reasons for HCP ineffectiveness
- Discuss a best practice in hearing loss prevention known to improve hearing protection use
- Describe one activity the manager of a HCP can do to help gain control of the HCP.
- Describe impulse noise exposures in terms of level and duration
- Select hearing protection appropriate for impulsive noise exposures
- Demonstrate differences between active and passive hearing protectors
Course Completed
Fundamentals of Noise Measurement
Thursday, May 14, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Cliff Frey, CIH
In many ways, the success of hearing conservation efforts depends on the quality of the noise assessments. For example, these essential questions must be answered: Is noise control needed? Is a hearing conservation program required? Who needs to be included and excluded from the hearing conservation program? How much attenuation is needed for the noise-exposed workers? This webinar will cover the key concepts needed to make area sound level measurements and employee noise exposure assessments. This includes the characteristics of noise, regulatory requirements for instrumentation settings, and important elements to planning and implementing noise surveys in the workplace.
Learning Objectives:
Course Completed
So many hearing protectors! How to choose?
Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Dr. Laurie Wells, Au.D.
Choosing the best hearing protectors for your workers is a big responsibility. The workers are different, the noise characteristics change, and the jobs tasks may require unique solutions to protecting workers while allowing them to communicate and respond to the sound around them. So while it may appear simple on the surface, choosing the right hearing protectors for your workers can be complicated. This webinar will review the types of hearing protectors and discuss a number of essential selection considerations for choosing hearing protectors that are appropriate for the workers, the jobs, and that meet regulatory requirements.
Learning Objectives:
Course Completed
Understanding Hearing Protection Ratings: What’s Behind the Numbers?
Thursday, May 28, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Dr. Laurie Wells, Au.D.
In most countries, hearing protectors are required by law to be tested and labeled in a specific way. Using a standardized measurement method and a uniform label on a product should make it easy for users to understand, right? In the U.S., for example, new cars are labeled with an MPG or miles per gallon rating, and for hearing protection, the mandatory label value is the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). This requirement has been in place for over 40 years.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates hearing protector attenuation labeling (NRR)
Federal and State regulations tell us how to use the NRR in hearing conservation programs
Research reveals that one number on a label often doesn’t tell the whole story
Today, we can fit test hearing protectors on individual workers to get a Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR)
What to do with all these numbers? This webinar will explore some truths and myths about the NRR and PAR: how they are derived, how they can be applied, and what are some misconceptions about them. Practical recommendations will be offered on using NRRs and PARs to help meet regulatory requirements, select appropriate hearing protector options, and drive improvements in hearing conservation programs.
Learning Objectives:
Course Completed
Advanced Hearing Protection and Communications Solutions
Thursday, June 4, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Pegeen Smith, MS, RN, COHN-S, FAAOHN
Hearing protection selection criteria is generally relegated to TWA and the attenuation required to reduce the exposure to beneath the mandated level. Audibility and communication are often an afterthought. This webinar will provide an overview of expanded hearing protection selection criteria as well as advanced hearing protection and communications technologies that may offer advantages to workers whose tasks have communication and situational awareness requirements not met by passive protectors.
Learning Objectives:
Course Completed
Hearing protection fit testing: Hear to stay
Thursday, June 11, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Dr. Laurie Wells, Au.D.
Hearing protection fit testing is changing the practice and outcomes of hearing conservation. Recognized as a best practice by the US OSHA/NHCA/NIOSH Alliance over a decade ago, this “emerging trend” is continuing to gain acceptance as an essential component of hearing conservation programs. Support is also growing on the regulatory front, with the publication of the first national standard specifying performance criteria for fit-test systems, an OSHA standards interpretation about how fit testing can be used, and multiple guidance documents and standards outside the US. There is a growing body of scientific literature from around the globe. This session will give an update on the status of hearing protection fit testing and offer practical considerations for implementation. Included topics are a) overview of fit-testing technologies, b) key regulatory information, c) benefits of fit testing, d) highlights of recent research findings, and e) employer experiences.
Learning Objectives:
Course Completed
Managing Common Concerns in Hearing Conservation
Thursday, June 18, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Dr. Laurie Wells, Au.D.
Federal regulations require employers to operate an effective hearing conservation program (HCP) for people working in hazardous noise. However, even with specific rules and recommendations to guide them, employers may struggle to be pro-active and able to prevent occurrences of noise-induced hearing loss. This webinar will address some common reasons for HCP ineffectiveness and offer tools and recommendations for improving the management of HCPs. This webinar is designed for all persons who play a role in delivering hearing loss prevention services in the workplace.
Learning Objectives:
Course Completed
Protecting hearing from sounds that go BOOM
Thursday, June 25, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
Presented by Dr. Cameron Fackler, Ph.D.
Impulse noise presents unique challenges for hearing conservation, with peak sound pressure levels that may be 170 dB or higher. In situations such as shooting, very loud impulse noises are interspersed with periods of relative quiet, where users of hearing protection may need to hear quiet sounds such as environmental sounds or speech. This webinar will provide an overview of impulse noise, explore challenges in measuring and characterizing impulse noise, and discuss the pros and cons of various types of hearing protectors for impulse noise exposures.
By the end of this seminar, the attendee will be able to:
Course Completed
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