Friday October 01, 2010
Gulf spill requires unique hearing protection, communication
Download PDF
After nearly 30 years of OSHA mandated hearing conservation, hearing loss is currently the No. 1 recordable illness among all manufacturing1. Equally alarming is compensation for hearing loss and tinnitus is now the No. 1 compensable injury for the military / Veterans Affairs2.
In both manufacturing and the military, the common problem is high noise and respirator use prevent communication. Traditional hearing protectors further block the message and hearing/understanding and transmitting across radios is difficult to impossible. Unfortunately, hearing protection is the only device available to prevent hearing loss. Noisecancelling devices do not eliminate the harmfulnoises, they only make it sound better. Forprevention, we are stuck with passive hearingprotection devices (HPD’s).
To further the problem, operators do not wear their HPD’s properly, insert them to their own comfort level and often remove them to try to communicate under the austere environments. Supervision of proper use is difficult without any means to determine if the HPD is inserted deeply enough to protect the worker.
If two-way communication is important to get the job done properly and safely, the operator must depend on his experience and hand signals because radio messages simply cannot be transmitted or understood clearly. This is especially critical when respirators are used. Of course, risk increases significantly for the new hire who lacks experience.
In the recent events in the Gulf, CavCom was called into action when traditional radio equipment was inadequate in the presence of high noise and respirator use during cleanup
operations aboard the vessels. In the process of collecting and burning oil, offshore operations utilize large compressors to transform the collected oil from a dense liquid into a fine burnable mist. With the use of large compressors for this task, noise levels are greatly increased and air quality can decrease, resulting in the need for proper respiratory PPE. As stated above, both factors result in poor radio communications without proper two-way accessories.
CavCom’s unique technology combines hearing protection and radio communications into a lightweight ear set (Talk Through Your Ears® technology). Internally, each earpiece contains both microphone and
speaker, while offering up to 31 NRR, thus, eliminating the need for a heavy headset and boom microphone.
In addition to the comfort of an in the ear foam or custom protector, the device is completely
contained in the ear, thus the use of respirators, hard hats, safety glasses and other PPE do not interfere with hearing protection or radio communication.
Another feature that can work toward simple supervision of HPD effectiveness is the CavCom “Fit Check.” If the HPD is not inserted properly to achieve an adequate
ear/hearing protection seal, background noise will be audible on radio transmission and virtually everyone on the radio system hears it.
The common problems associated with worker/soldier compliance are motivation, comfort, convenience and training/supervision. These are the success or failure of an effective hearing loss prevention program.
A major change in form factor from headsets to comfortable in the ear devices can overcome each of the barriers.
CavCom’s in the ear communication and hearing protection technology has found its way to major companies in their battle to preserve hearing and improve two-way radio communication.
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf — pages 26, 27).
2. Veterans Affairs (www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/abr/2008_abr.pdf — page 5); tinnitus — 558,232 claims; hearing loss—519,834 claims. Page 9, 118,935 new claims in FY 2008. Page 12 statistics on steadily
increasing claims for hearing loss.