Hearing loss resulting from loud noise created by machinery and tools may go undetected until it’s too late. On top of that, it’s not always easy to find clear information about how to prevent noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace.
How do you currently find out about detection, what changes to make and what personal protective equipment is available? It probably involves visiting multiple sources, from reading bulletins and complicated standards to investigating numerous options that may leave you confused and overwhelmed.
Enter 3M. We offer one-day Hearing Loss Prevention Seminars free of charge as part of our effort to help educate employers about protecting their workers’ vital sense of hearing through the adoption of safe workplace practices. We present these detailed educational events to help employers who provide hearing conservation programs across various industries learn about how to control noise hazards, understand regulatory requirements and help their employees maintain healthy hearing.
These seminars are led by some of the industry’s most respected hearing leaders from the 3M Personal Safety Division, including Laurie Wells, Au.D., Doctor Audiology and senior acoustics regulatory affairs specialist and Eric Fallon, Au.D., Doctor Audiology and technical service specialist. Seminars cover a wide variety of topics, featuring:
- Current regulations and other regulatory issues related to noise hazards and hearing conservation
- Noise detection, monitoring, and tips on how to use effectively noise exposure data
- Health effects related to noise exposure and how to communicate in noise
- Equipment choices and options available, including the recent technological developments
- Selection, fitting, use, and care of hearing protectors
Our informative, day-long seminars are designed to focus on practical and applied solutions rather than highly technical matters. Throughout 2019, we are hosting seminars in Kansas City, Portland, Oakland, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston and Baltimore. Register for the next event here.
Who Benefits? Potentially Everyone in Your Company. Earn Continuing Education Credit!
Not only do we try to structure the day so you can have fun while learning how to build a culture of safety, but also people who attend for the full day have the opportunity to earn continuing education units. The program is designed around clear learning objectives and intended to help industrial hygienists, safety professionals and nurses meet their continuing education requirements.
But, these seminars are not only for occupational health and safety professionals. Anyone who is involved hearing loss prevention – whether academic, industrial, government or military – are also encouraged to attend to hear ideas for how to foster a safer auditory experience while completing core job functions.
Our seminars throughout the country have been a huge success! Attendees seem to really enjoy the hands-on learning about employee training programs they can put in place. Participants learn many different training tips and are provided with resources with an emphasis on motivation and take-home tools so that they are equipped to foster a culture of safety and help create a safer workplace.
For instance, at a recent seminar, attendees learned the importance of rolling disposable foam earplugs into a tiny crease-free cylinder before inserting the plugs into their ears to help achieve better noise reduction.
What Happened Recently at one of these Hearing Loss Prevention Seminars?
At a different seminar, Aryn Vastola, a 3M Hearing Protection Marketer, held a competition for the participants to find out who could achieve the highest Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR) during an earplug fit-test with the 3M™ E-A-Rfit™ Dual Ear™ validation system. The winner received a noise-reducing headset!
One participant even showed how creative they are by using pipe cleaners to demonstrate a person putting in earplugs.
The pipe cleaners are used to demonstrate how loud sound impacts the tiny sensory cells in your ears, known as hair cells. If you hold the pipe cleaners on one end and shake them vigorously (like sound hitting your inner ear hair cells), they bend and fall down. This is a fun, relatable and memorable way for people to visualize what happens to our ears when we are exposed to hazardous noise over a long period of time. This is just one of the many unique ways you can learn to show workers how noise can impact your health and pick up ideas to help your company strengthen its hearing loss prevention efforts.
To learn more, find a seminar near you, and register for a future event, please click here.
We hope to see you at our next seminar!