Research strategies for evaluating effectiveness of industrial hearing loss prevention programs (HLLP)

• Published in: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 1999-02, Vol.105 (2_Supplement), p.1010-1010
• Main Authors: Prince, Mary M., Franks, John R., Merry, Carol, Colligan, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0001-4966; 1520-8524
• DOI: 10.1121/1.425834

NIOSH recommends that hearing loss prevention programs (HLPPs) be implemented for all workers whose unprotected 8-h TWA exposures equal or exceed 85 dB and that the programs include at least the following components: (1) initial and annual audits of procedures, (2) noise exposure assessment, (3) engineering and administrative control of noise exposures, (4) audiometric surveillance and evaluation, (5) use of hearing protectors (for exposures >85 dB, regardless of duration), (6) education and motivation, (7) recordkeeping, and (8) program evaluation. All components except program evaluation and routine in-hour audits are generally discussed in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hearing Conservation Amendment (HCA). This paper presents research approaches for systematically evaluating OSHA-mandated hearing conservation programs. The intent of such research is to (a) develop methods for evaluating hearing conservation programs that can be used across several industrial sectors and (b) identify ways in which ‘‘hearing conservation’’ can effectively become ‘‘hearing prevention’’ programs. General approaches are presented for each program element and data collection issues are discussed with specific examples of how various methods can been used for program evaluation. The goal of such research strategies is to identify the best predictors of program effectiveness.