Auditory communication and situational awareness with hearing protective equipment

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In many occupational settings, workers are exposed to high-level noises which adversely impact on both hearing health and job safety. While engineering control at the source is the preferred noise mitigation method, it is not always feasible to reduce noise to safe levels in some working environments and the use of personal hearing protectors (such as earmuffs and earplugs) often become necessary. Current standards on the selection, fit, and use of hearing protectors focus on the noise reduction that these devices provide to satisfy regulatory limits on the maximum daily exposure. In focus group meetings, however, concerns are often raised by workers about job performance and safety when working in noise with hearing protectors. These issues are especially critical for workers with pre-existing hearing losses and users who are non-native speakers. The main objective of the research program is to contribute to the development of practical tools and methods addressing complex health and safety issues involving auditory communication and situational awareness. The program first aims to fill gaps of knowledge in our understanding of the different factors involved in the performance of auditory tasks in the noisy workplace, with particular emphasis on special populations and use of advanced hearing protective devices and technologies. Experiments with human subjects are planned to study the effects of language proficiency and hearing loss on speech perception in noise when using hearing protectors or communication headsets as well as on the effects of these devices on speech production. Experiments are also planned with pairs of subjects to study the talker-listener interaction while wearing hearing protectors. Secondly, the research program aims at developing quantitative models of speech communication and sound detection in noise with hearing protectors taking into account the relevant noise, device and user characteristics. Such models are important to support scientific analysis and forecasting of the riskiest listening situations encountered in the noisy workplace to ensure safe and effective operations, given the task demands, hearing/linguistic characteristics of the workers, and use of protective equipment. The research also supports the development of new national and international standard procedures or specifications for the optimal selection of hearing protectors taking into account both protection and communication needs.