Administration of a comprehensive and effective hearing conservation/hearing loss prevention program consists of more than merely purchasing and dispensing hearing protectors. Noise monitoring, sampling strategies and employee training are but a few of the additional important aspects of an overall program. This seminar will review these issues and others in a practical and realistic manner, providing state-of-the-art recommendations to promote effective protection of the worker and compliance with the law.

Emphasis will be placed upon an understanding of how hearing protectors function, how they are tested and rated, how they perform in the real world, and how they affect employees’ ability to function on their jobs.

Commercially available products will be discussed with respect to their performance and selection, fit, use, and care. New evidence supporting the benefits of individual fit testing will be presented.

Attendees will learn about best practices for monitoring noise exposure and using noise exposure data to make key decisions related to noise controls, hearing protector selection and determination of work-relatedness The importance of worker training and motivation will be emphasized along with interactive techniques that can be used to make annual training programs more engaging and memorable.