Resources for Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Laura Coco, PhD, AuD
[email protected]

Measure and Understand Workplace Noise

• NIOSH Sound Level Meter App
  A free iPhone app for measuring workplace sound levels and estimating noise exposure. Available in English and Spanish.

• NIOSH Understand Noise Exposure
  Guidance on sound-level measurements, personal dosimetry, noise maps, exposure limits, and communicating results to workers.

Important: Phone apps can be useful for preliminary screening and education. They may not replace calibrated sound-level meters or personal dosimeters when a formal occupational exposure assessment is required.

Android users: NIOSH does not currently offer a validated Android version of its Sound Level Meter app. Third-party apps may provide rough screening estimates, but their accuracy varies by phone and application.

Prevent and Control Noise Exposure

• Preventing Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
  NIOSH guidance on identifying hazardous noise and reducing workplace exposure.

• NIOSH Hierarchy of Controls  
  Guidance on prioritizing elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment.

Select and Fit Hearing Protection

• NIOSH Recommendation for Individual Hearing-Protector Fit Testing  
  Current NIOSH guidance on using individual quantitative fit testing to determine how much protection a worker actually receives. English and Spanish versions are available.

• Hearing Protection Information in Spanish
  Spanish-language hearing-protection information from the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health.

Seek out quiet places

• SoundPrint - SoundPrint is like Yelp for quiet businesses, so you can pick the ones where you can actually hear the person across the table and avoid the noisy ones. Compatible with both iOS and Android.

Agricultural Hearing Loss Prevention

• AgriSafe Hearing Loss Prevention Resources  Agricultural hearing-loss prevention guides, educational materials, and training resources.

Proyecto Oídos Protegidos

For information or collaboration opportunities, contact Laura Coco at [email protected]

Article by Laura Coco in the Washington Post The Hidden Risks of Noise Pollution
A freely accessible edition in The Conversation.