Hearing Conservation in the Workplace through Webinar Training

October 10, 2019|Industrial Hygiene in the Workplace

Overexposure to audible sound is known to cause hearing loss and a variety of other adverse health outcomes. Exposures to ototoxic compounds can also cause hearing loss, either in the absence of, or in combination with, exposure to audible sound. ACGIH^® addresses this concern in its upcoming Fall webinar “Exposures and Impacts Associated with Occupational and Non-occupational Audible Sound and Ototoxic Chemicals.”

This webinar will describe our current knowledge regarding exposures to harmful audible sound in the workplace and in recreational settings, and will also review data on the associations between these exposures and two primary health outcomes: hearing loss and cardiovascular disease. The webinar will also describe available information on exposures to, and impacts of, a range of ototoxic agents.

“Exposures and Impacts Associated with Occupational and Non-occupational Audible Sound and Ototoxic Chemicals” is intended for those in the occupational health and safety profession who want to understand occupational and nonoccupational exposures to audible sound and ototoxic agents, as well as of the possible health outcomes associated with these exposures. They include Industrial Hygienists, Safety Professionals, General OHS Professionals, Occupational Health Nurses and Occupational Medicine Physicians.

After participating in this webinar, attendees will be able to:

Describe levels and trends in occupational and recreational exposures to audible sound in the U.S.
Recognize key health outcomes associated with excessive exposure to audible sound
Describe common ototoxic agents that workers may encounter in both occupational and non-occupational settings
Identify recommended exposure limits that can be used to evaluate workers’ exposures to audible sound and ototoxic agents
Understand available resources from which additional information on these exposures and health outcomes can be obtained

In addition, the “Hearing Conservation Program Management” webinar is available in ACGIH’s archives and is intended for those EH&S professionals responsible for conducting or working in a successful hearing conservation program within their organization. This webinar is designed to give viewers an overview of hearing conservation program management. Topics include an examination of different hearing conservation program components, including regulatory guidance; noise hazard identification and control; monitoring audiometry; and noise-induced hearing loss.

“Hearing Conservation Program Management” will provide viewers with valuable information on proper application of the ACGIH Noise TLV^® in the workplace, as well as further guidance on engineering controls, hearing protection, and employee health education and training. Viewers will gain knowledge in each of these key component areas and will be able to:

Summarize and describe the key components of an effective hearing conservation program, including hearing conservation regulatory guidance
Discuss the different types of hearing protectors and list the benefits and limitations of each type
Describe the importance of health education strategies and gain knowledge of key topics to cover during annual health education
Describe the types of noise-induced hearing loss
Demonstrate an understanding of monitoring audiometry practices
Understand key principles for performing workplace noise evaluations
Understand the basics of workplace noise-control

Following the “Hearing Conservation Program Management” webinar, the ACGIH Threshold Limit Values for Physical Agents (TLV-PA) Committee proposed a revision to the TLV for Noise. The Committee presented its reasoning for the proposed revision in the “ACGIH TLV for Audible Sound–Understanding the Proposed Notice of Intended Change to the ACGIH TLV for Noise” webinar (also in the ACGIH archives). The webinar highlights the available information on sources and trends of occupational noise exposures in the U.S. It also discusses the elements and recommendations in the draft Notice of Intended Change (NIC) TLV Documentation, including a review of the proposed notes that link occupational noise exposure to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (including hypertension and ischemic heart disease), as well as increased risk of occupational injuries.

The webinar allows viewers to:

Understand the sources and trends in occupational audible sound exposures in the U.S.
Be able to describe emerging health effects associated with occupational audible sound exposures, including cardiovascular disease and increased risk of occupational injuries
Understand the proposed changes described in the NIC Documentation for Audible Sound
Be able to list ototoxic substances described in the NIC Documentation for Audible sound
Be able to describe best practices for prevention of occupational audible sound-induced hearing loss

For more information on and to register for the upcoming “Exposures and Impacts Associated with Occupational and Non-occupational Audible Sound and Ototoxic Chemicals” webinar, visit the ACGIH website at acgih.org.

To purchase the “Hearing Conservation Program Management” webinar on USB or the “ACGIH TLV for Audible Sound – Understanding the Proposed Notice of Intended Change to the ACGIH TLV for Noise” webinar on USB, visit the ACGIH Online Publications Store (acgih.org/Store) and search for Product ID WB-021-USB and WB-032-USB, respectively. Take the tests (Product ID WB-021TEST and WB-032TEST) and submit them to ACGIH to get a Certificate of Completion, then visit the American Board of Industrial Hygiene^® (abih.org) and Board of Certified Safety Professionals (bcsp.org) websites to determine if you’re eligible for continuing education credit.

Stay abreast of the latest industry information on Dust and Fume Control; Hearing Conservation; Respiratory Protection; Gas Detection; and Ergonomics with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists’ webinar series. ACGIH is “Defining The Science of Occupational and Environmental Health®.” IHW