PDC 1001: Principles of Good Practice for Managing Noise Exposures – NEW!

Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center 

CM Credit Hours: 3.5 

*Please note: PDCs are at an additional cost, and preregistration is required*
To register, please visit: https://aihaconnect.org/register

This half-day professional development course covers principles of good practice for preventing workplace hearing loss—one of the most common occupational diseases in the United States and worldwide. Hearing loss costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually.

The course is divided into three main components:

The first section focuses on foundational practices for industrial hygienists, including tools for noise exposure assessment, recommended and regulatory exposure limits, an overview of the quantitative risk of hearing loss from noise, and a live demonstration of noise control effectiveness.

The second section highlights emerging topics in workplace hearing loss prevention. Attendees will explore the impact of environmental noise on workers, strategies for communicating noise risks, the use of wearable data to monitor exposure, hearing protection fit-testing technologies, and the role of ototoxic agents in the workplace.

The final section introduces freely available big data tools for assessing noise exposures and identifying trends across occupations and industries. Participants will learn how to use the U.S./Canada National Job Exposure Matrix for occupational noise and several Shiny apps that explore associations between noise, injuries and other related factors.

*Please note: Only participants registering for two (2) half-day PDCs on the same day will receive a box lunch. **Please note: power strips will not be provided at each attendee's seat; however, charging stations for laptops will be provided in each course room.

• Foundations and good practices in industrial hygiene and noise
o Noise as a physical hazard and strategies for assessment
o Overview of noise regulations, standards and instrumentation
o Risk of hearing loss from noise exposure
o Demonstration of noise control techniques
• Emerging topics
o Occupational vs. environmental noise
o Non-occupational noise sources
o Communicating risk on and off the job
o Non-auditory effects of noise exposure
o Using smart devices and wearables
o Hearing protection and fit testing
o Headphones as both a noise source and protection
o Ototoxicants in the workplace
o Changing work dynamics and noise implications
• Big data applications
o Using big data to assess noise exposure
o Exploring the Noise Job Exposure Matrix (JEM)
o Building interactive dashboards with Shiny apps
• Final review and wrap-up
 

Upon completion, the participant will be able to:

• Choose the best practices in noise exposure assessment.
• Recognize and select correct noise measurement and hearing protection fit testing devices.
• Distinguish between regulatory requirements and principles of good practice.
• Utilize online dashboards and big data to assess worker exposure.
 

Participants will receive Rule of Thumb/cheat sheets about noise exposure and risk communication and links for the interactive dashboards covered in the course. 

This PDC will equip participants with the skills needed to identify the jobs and tasks associated with the highest level of noise exposure so that cost-effective controls can be implemented to reduce the likelihood of overexposure. 

Laptop

Introductory

Functional Core Competencies

Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention

Exposure Assessment

Hearing conservation and noise reduction

Regulatory compliance

Safety

In-person

Student and Early Career Professional Track

Technician

Case Studies

Group activities

Hands-on demonstrations and practicum

Problem Solving /Practice Exercises

Small Group Discussion