Honeywell’s new eGuide which outlines the four vital steps that every safety manager should have at the heart of their hearing conservation programme. ‘Key Steps to a Successful Hearing Conservation Programme’ highlights how health and safety professionals can raise employee awareness of the risks associated with noise in the workplace, educate workers on the benefits of hearing protection and train them in the correct use of Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs).

“Noise induced hearing loss is an entirely preventable yet irreversible disease affecting a considerable number of Australian workers, affecting approximately 4700 people each year, NHIL accounts for 11% of all occupational disease claims. Furthermore, it amounted to $41 million in workers’ compensation payments and had an estimated total economic cost of around $240 million.”¹].

Safety managers need to look more closely at their approach to reducing noise risk in the workplace and consider how they are protecting workers’ hearing,” says Honeywell Industrial Safety global technical training specialist for hearing conservation Kjersti Rutlin.

“Implementing a successful hearing conservation programme is paramount to reducing the incidences of NIHL. By following a few essential steps, health and safety professionals can encourage workers to take responsibility when it comes to protecting their hearing, and therefore reduce the potential for permanent hearing damage.”

The eGuide from Honeywell looks at how those in the health and safety industry can assess the risk, choose HPDs that are fit-for-purpose, make sure they are worn correctly, and educate workers on protecting their hearing both on and off the job. It explains that workers who are actively involved in the process are critical to a successful hearing conservation programme. Only then will they fully appreciate the importance of preserving their hearing beyond the workplace and start to view HPDs as an essential piece of equipment.

Download a free copy of ‘Key Steps to a Successful Hearing Conservation Programme’ here.

Footnotes:
1.https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1702/nationalhazardexposureworkersurveillancenoiseexposure_provision_noisecontrolmeasures_australianworkplaces_2010_pdf.pdf