Apparently, it’s one thing to say your place of employment has a hearing protection program and another to actually ensure it is protecting employees properly.
A new review of existing employer hearing protection programs seems to indicate that there is little evidence to support the workplace programs. That doesn’t mean that workers don’t wear earplugs and other hearing protection devices, but the study reviewers indicate that they may not always be effective.
Review lead author Jos Verbeek indicated that in terms of the big hearing wellness picture, “We still rely too much on hearing protection, which is not sufficient.” In an article published by Health Behavior News Service, a Colorado audiologist agrees, saying that hearing loss is a very common workplace injury and itís very invisible, saying it takes a while for it to get bad enough for people to pay attention.
Reasons cited that hearing loss protection programs may not work include people not wearing earplugs when they are supposed to, and being exposed to excessive noise levels as a result. Also, low-quality earplugs that are designed as a “one-size-fits-all” may not work properly for everyone. Further, proper use of earplugs requires simple training, because proper use consists of more than just sticking them in your ears.
The overall best solution to protecting hearing wellness is to reduce exposure to loud or extended noise, which may not always be feasible due to expenses — especially in today’s tough economy. However, the study authors recommend some less-costly measures such as enclosures around noisy machinery and simply soundproofing noisy workrooms.
Ultimately, people must take personal responsibility of ensuring hearing health. Taking hearing wellness supplements like ProHieran can also help provide hearing wellness as well as promote overall cellular health.
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