New advances in hearing protector technology include a device
that allows for the collection of occupational noise exposure data
under the hearing protector on a continuous basis (Michael et al,
2011). A study of noise-exposed workers using such devices
on a mandatory basis reported that such use may reduce their
risk of occupational hearing loss compared to matched controls (Rabinowitz et al, 2011). In that study it was noted that some of
the benefi cial effect could have resulted from the ongoing involvement
of company personnel in overseeing the noise exposures of
the individuals using the monitoring devices, or other contemporaneous
changes. It was also pointed out that further studies were
needed to determine whether the monitoring devices could have
a benefi cial impact on noise exposure and hearing loss risk when
used in a voluntary program, as such trials might be necessary to
validate the effi cacy of these devices.
We report on the initial experience of a cohort of industrial workers
enrolled in a voluntary study of the use of a device allowing them
to perform daily monitoring of occupational noise exposure under
their hearing protection devices.