Workplace Medical
Client Portal
Contact Us
  • Cultivating Hearing Health at an Early Age

    When you think about protecting your children from illness, your thoughts likely turn to getting them vaccinated and teaching them to wash their hands often. You probably don’t think about protecting their hearing as a way to prevent serious illness, but new research suggests that you should.

    Linking Hearing and Health

    A report released in October of 2018 by the World Health Organization (WHO) makes it clear that noise and noise pollution contribute to both mental and physical illnesses, stating that excessive amounts of noise can “disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular and psycho-physiological effects, reduce performance and provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour.”

    It’s true that there is no escape from the noise of traffic, trains, airplanes, wind turbines and even leisure activities like music concerts. That doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. Protecting your hearing helps you preserve it and reduces your risk of other health problems — and there are plenty of ways you can do that for yourself and for your children.

    Hearing Health for Kids

    Every baby born in Ontario after 2002 gets screened for hearing problems shortly after birth. This early screening identifies infants with hearing issues, so they can get the help they need to develop language and communication skills.

    Whether your infant’s hearing tests in the normal range or proves impaired, it’s important to protect whatever hearing ability remains. To do so, make sure noise-making toys aren’t too loud. It’s best to avoid or discard loud toys with no volume control. Although earbuds allow your child to enjoy movies, games and music without disturbing others, it’s important to limit their use and monitor their volume.

    Remember that hearing problems can develop at any time, so pay attention as your child grows. If you notice your child always turning up the television or speaking loudly, she may have a hearing issue. Listening problems can also indicate a loss of hearing. Of course, loud music and trouble listening could just mean your child has become a teenager, too, but it’s best to have their hearing checked to make sure.

    Hearing Health for Adults

    Unfortunately, fighting genetic hearing loss is sometimes a losing battle. You can, however, greatly reduce your risk of exposure to environmental causes of hearing loss if you keep your ears open to some sound advice.

    To protect yourself, consider the amount of noise produced by the equipment, vehicles, tools and appliances you purchase for use at home and at work. Many times, electric and battery-powered devices make less noise than those driven by gas or diesel engines.

    When you must use equipment on the louder end of the spectrum, use barriers and noise dampeners whenever it’s possible. This protects others who find themselves within earshot of your work area. Protect yourself, as well, by wearing disposable earplugs, earmuffs or customized hearing protection.

    Hearing Protection Choices

    Disposable earplugs are readily available and inexpensive, which makes them a good choice for many. Their small size makes them easy to carry and convenient when working in tight places where bulkier gear, like earmuffs, may be an issue.

    It does take some time, however, to mold these generic plugs to your ears, and they may irritate your ear canal if you don’t shape them properly. Some users find insertion and removal difficult, and good hygiene is a must. Disposable earplugs are just that and should never get used more than once.

    Earmuffs, too, have pros and cons. Because they’re easy to see, earmuffs are hard to misplace. They also make it easy for supervisors to ensure that employees wear them as required. It’s safe to wear earmuffs even with an ear infection, and they reduce vibration in addition to protecting hearing. Earmuffs are somewhat bulky, however, which makes them less portable than disposable earplugs and more cumbersome when working in tight spaces. You may struggle to wear earmuffs comfortably if you wear glasses, safety hats or religious head coverings while working.

    While both disposable earplugs and earmuffs have their place, custom earplugs generally work best for those frequently exposed to loud noises. Made specifically to fit your body, custom earplugs provide superior comfort and perform better than other hearing protection devices.

    The biggest objection people have to customized earplugs is their initial cost. Custom earplugs typically last three to five years, however, making them cheaper over the long term than other hearing protection solutions. Custom earplugs also improve compliance. Ear protection doesn’t work if you don’t wear it, and many of us have been guilty of removing uncomfortable hearing protection. Customized earplugs offer superior comfort, increasing the likelihood that you and your employees will actually use them and do so without complaint.

    Remember the Audiologist

    No matter what type of hearing protection you choose or how faithfully you use it, remember to have your hearing checked annually.

    Noise-induced hearing loss is usually gradual, so you may not notice it until it becomes severe. Hearing loss also occurs without pain. Although a lack of pain is typically considered a good thing, pain does indicate that you’re having a problem. Without it, you’ll have no way of knowing that you’re hearing is suffering unless you have it checked by a professional. Annual hearing tests detect even slight changes in your hearing, allowing you to adjust your hearing protection as needed.  

    If you’re still not convinced, consider what you have to lose. People affected by noise-induced hearing loss typically lose the ability to hear high frequencies first. This means that the first thing you’ll lose is the ability to hear the voices of women and children. This could mean missing out on what your daughter, wife or grandchildren have to say. As your hearing continues to erode, you could ultimately lose the ability to hear deeper male voices, too.

    Hearing loss caused by noise is permanent, but it’s also 100 percent preventable. Give your children a healthy start by monitoring and limiting their noise exposure and teaching them to protect their hearing as they grow. Protect yourself by choosing quieter tools, using the proper hearing protection and having your hearing checked every year.

    Author: Karen Vye

    Resources:
    The World Health Organization, 2018
    Alzheimer Society of Canada, 2018
    Ministry of Children and Youth Services, 2002

    Jon Burtenshaw

    ,
    , , , , , ,
  • 3 Misconceptions About Mobile Hearing Testing

    Noise induced hearing loss is now the most common occupational disease in North America, affecting both the employee and employer. Here, we take a look at the 3 most misunderstood concerns about using a mobile hearing testing service.

    Misconception: The test must take place in a 100% soundproof environment:

    Audiometric booths (or attenuation booths), which are used in all clinical applications and most mobile unit applications, are simply designed to reduce the background noise to a level that no longer affects the test result. There are standard criteria for allowable background noise levels, and a properly designed mobile unit will meet these standards. Furthermore, It is standard practice for the person conducting the test to triple-check the results at each test tone before determining the patient’s true hearing level.

    Misconception: You must avoid any noise exposure prior to your test:

    It is hazardous noise that must be avoided, so wearing appropriate hearing protection is the equivalent of no noise exposure. Second, avoiding noise is essential for your baseline test, but not necessarily so for subsequent tests. In fact, it may be of more value to test a worker in the middle or even at the end of a shift. Here’s why: A person working in a high-noise environment prior the test will be (or should be) wearing hearing protection, so their test results shouldn’t indicate any noise-induced shifts, no matter what time the test was done. However, if this person is not wearing hearing protection (or not wearing it properly) and is tested at the end of a shift, the results are likely to indicate a temporary shift. This is the most important information of all. It’s exactly what you need to know. In fact, it’s the primary reason for a hearing conservation program.

    • You get a better understanding of the true level of hearing protection compliance in the workplace. You can’t simply assume that everyone’s wearing hearing protection and wearing it properly. You need a metric.
    • These temporary shifts will become permanent if allowed to continue. Since the hearing test will spot a shift before the worker begins to notice it, follow up remedial action can be taken at the earliest possible stage…before significant damage occurs and before it becomes compensable.
    • The results can be used as a training tool to help the worker see the risks of noise exposure and understand the benefits of hearing protection.

    If hearing tests were only conducted after temporary shifts have receded, we may not know about the shifts until it started to become a permanent shift.

    Misconception: The tests need to be conducted by a hearing specialist or audiologist:

    Most companies believe it’s neither efficient nor necessary to spend the time and money on a professional/clinical service when most people don’t need it. What’s needed is a quick way to screen for those with a condition that actually should be flagged for professional follow-up. This is where the mobile hearing testing services come in. Most services are capable of doing multiple-simultaneous tests and can screen the entire workforce in a fraction of the time it would take for a professional or nurse to do them one at a time. As an added bonus, many of these services also provide very comprehensive demographic and statistical reports. Proactive implementation of a comprehensive hearing conservation program can reduce and even eliminate occupational hearing loss. Save your organization and employees the time, costs and damages associated with hearing loss and book a mobile hearing test today. For more information, please contact us.

    Jon Burtenshaw

    ,
    , , , , , , , ,
  • 6 Ways to Protect Yourself from Noise Induced Hearing Loss

    Almost everyone has been in a restaurant, bar or office where we have cupped our ear or tilted our head to hear someone speaking to us. Even with good hearing, we may have difficulty because of background noise or what is known as ambient noise. However, if you find yourself having difficulty hearing even when there’s little background noise and you have been exposed to noise on or off the job, you may be experiencing NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS (NIHL).

    Hearing loss is more noticeable to those around us

    Family members may begin noticing you missing out on parts of conversations or the television being too loud for the rest of the family. NIHL is PERMANENT and can occur from exposure to noise levels of 85 decibels or higher. Furthermore, hearing aids are not very helpful with this type of hearing loss. Yet many jobs produce noise levels that exceed this level. For example Machinists, Millwrights, and General Repairman are exposed to air chisels, air guns, grinding, riveting, stamping and tamping that can be as high as 100 decibels or more.

    Why is it difficult to recognize the onset of Noise Induced Hearing Loss?

    1. Pain or discomfort does not occur until the noise is around 110 to 120 decibels (sirens, concerts, airplanes, blasting). This is why you will always see employees working at the airport wearing ear muffs. Ears hurt in loud environments and that pain motivates them to protect their ears. Unfortunately, noise can damage our hearing at much lower volume levels. Everyday sounds such as highway traffic, electric razors, and gas lawnmowers, which are well below the pain motivator, but can still cause significant hearing damage. Don’t let the absence of pain to fool you into losing your hearing.

    2. Hearing loss happens very slowly over time. The noise builds up in the ear, and damages a little every day. It can often go unnoticed until it is too late.

    3. People expect NIHL to affect all their hearing all at once. Noise damages the high pitch tones first, such as a beeper on a watch or a bird chirping. Then it gradually erodes into the other tones, including those of the human voice.

    6 Ways to Save Yourself from NIHL

    1. Wear ear protection both on and off the job, even for short periods of exposure…remember, it all adds up!
    2. Reduce any noise exposure as much as possible, both on and off the job.
    3. Enjoy your music but enjoy it at a reasonable volume, and for short periods of time.
    4. Make sure you have an annual audiometric screening (hearing test) and understand your results.
    5. Check to see if your results indicate a change from your last hearing test.
    6. If there is a change, then you must increase protection both on and off the job and your follow up hearing test will let you know if you are doing everything right.

    Protect your employees from Noise Induced Hearing Loss

    Our widely popular hearing conservation program focuses on four key areas to protect your most valuable assets from premature hearing loss. We offer

    For more information, please contact us or download your free Management Essentials guide for an Effective Hearing Conservation Program today.

    Jon Burtenshaw

    ,
    , , , , , , ,
  • The Real Cost of Noise Induced Hearing Loss

    Noise induced hearing loss is now the most common occupational disease in North America.

    According to Statistics Canada, more than one million adults across the country have reported a hearing-related disability. It was estimated that hearing loss costs the Canadian economy more than $10.6 billion each year and according to Heather Ferguson, President of the Hearing Foundation of Canada, actual numbers may reach as much as three million, as hearing loss is believed to be under reported.

    The potential cost of hearing loss goes well beyond the simple WSIB dollar figures. It is a potential accident risk and a serious quality of life issue.

    Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) can occur from ongoing exposure to noise levels 85dB or above. In its early stages, NIHL impairs our ability to hear high-pitch tones. For example, you may have trouble hearing birds chirping, a beeping alarm clock, or perhaps even a warning signal in the workplace which could lead to a potential accident. It also affects our ability to hear the “consonant” sounds of human speech, which help separate words into syllables. Without this ability, voices, particularly those of women and children sound muffled, as though talking with your hand over your mouth. And these high-pitch tones also provide the directional cues that help us locate the source of a sound. As the NIHL increases, it eventually spreads to the lower-pitch tones, and we begin to have trouble hearing men’s voices and many of the other sounds in our everyday life. People with this type of hearing disability often describe their lives as one of isolation, both at work and at home. They get confused and are unable to follow conversations in crowded, noisy places and find themselves being ridiculed by those around them as being “stupid”. And because they often have more trouble hearing women’s and children’s voices, they experience tremendous anxiety that affects their family life. The isolation they experience can lead to serious stress-related illnesses, withdrawal from the family, and a shying away from social activities.

    NIHL is permanent. Fortunately, it’s also 100% preventable.

    The problem with NIHL is that it is a very slow process. There is no blood, no pain, and often it takes years to manifest. For this reason it can often be difficult to convince people that anything is happening, After all, their hearing seems to be the same when they wake up as when they went to sleep. They eventually do notice a change, but by then, permanent damage has already been done.

    Prevention: Establish a workplace Hearing Conservation Program

    Most NIHL is due to over-exposure to high noise levels in the workplace, and it is the responsibility of the employer to prevent this over-exposure with a hearing conservation program. This does not simply mean giving them some hearing protectors and leaving them on their own. What type of hearing protector is appropriate? What is the appropriate noise reduction rating for the protectors? Do you know the actual noise level they will be used in? How will you ensure the hearing protectors will be worn properly (or at all)? Have you considered reducing the noise at the source? This could potentially eliminate the risk altogether. Maybe the cost of buying a quieter hand tool is less than the long-term cost of the hearing protectors. A comprehensive HCP will deal with all of these issues and ensure the long-term hearing safety of the workers. A comprehensive Hearing Conservation Program consists of the following elements:

    • Noise Survey and Noise Dosimetry measurement
    • Engineered noise control
    • Hazard postings
    • Hearing Protectors
    • Baseline & annual hearing tests
    • Hearing Safety Education and Training
    • Annual program review

    In a nutshell, you want to reduce noise where you can, provide hearing protection devices where you can’t, help the participants understand the program and how it benefits them, and check them regularly for hearing loss. A strong emphasis must be put on the educational components of the program. These will be the cornerstone of the program and will play a large part in the relative success.

    Hearing testing is the only tool that can verify the success of your hearing conservation program.

    Even with the best training, there will be some people that aren’t wearing their hearing protectors properly. This may or may not be intentional. The hearing tests are able to spot a developing noise induced hearing loss long before the patient is able to notice it. The same is true for other types of hearing losses, as well. This allows for follow up action to be taken at the earliest possible stage. It is strongly recommended that a professional, experienced Hearing Conservation Program service provider be utilized in the development & delivery of the program in order to ensure quality control and program success.

    Hearing safety benefits us all. Help ensure good hearing in the years to come by protecting your employees hearing now with a Hearing Conservation Program.

    Jon Burtenshaw

    ,
    , , , , , ,