Fit for Hearing Protection with Earplug Testing
By Dennis A. Colucci, AuD, MA
In industry, the goal for safety and health is to eliminate all accidents, keep employees working to their potential, and avoid debilitating long-term injuries or loss of life. In occupational audiology, this objective means avoiding hearing loss and the exacerbation of central presbycusis’ potential long-term effects as employees age.
Working as part of a team, the audiologist evaluates standard threshold shift (STS) cases by reviewing dosimetry measures of time-weighted average (TWA) and peak values for comparison against the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limits (Permissible Exposure Limits).
