Hearing Loss Prevention Branch
Agenda
Overviews
Dr. Güner Gürtunca, R. J. Matetic
Exposure Source/Dose
Dr. Eric Bauer
Engineering Controls I (Acoustic Test Chamber)
Peter Kovalchik, Shawn Peterson
Communication & PPE (Auditory Research Lab)
Dr. Efrem Reeves
Worker Empowerment & Education
Robert Randolph
Engineering Controls II (Hemi-Anechoic Chamber)
Peter Kovalchik, David Yantek, Ellsworth Spencer
Other PRL Facilities
Ed Thimons and R. J. Matetic
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Hearing Loss In the Mining Industry:
Overview of the NIOSH Hearing Loss Prevention Program at the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
R. J. Matetic, Branch Chief
Hearing Loss Prevention Branch
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
The Hearing Loss Problem
• High rates of hearing loss:
– 50-90% of miners are hearing impaired by retirement age
• High exposures – difficult to control
– 50-75% of miners have over 85 dB(A)/8hrs exposure
• Ineffective usage of hearing protectors
– Most workers use them improperly
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
HLPB – Evidence Package
• HLR program goals:
– Hearing loss prevention programs – Hearing protection devices – Engineering control of noise sources – Surveillance and risk factors
• Mining strategic goal 2: Reduce noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in the mining industry
(page 26)
– Four intermediate goals
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
4-Part Hearing Loss Program (Intermediate Goals)
1. Exposure source/dose measurement and tracking 2. Engineering noise controls
3. Worker empowerment & education 4. Communication in noise & PPE
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Mining Hearing Loss Prevention Program
Controls developed
Exposure Source & Dose
Controls needed
Engineering Controls
Barriers to implementation
Communication & PPE
Noisy tasks/settings
Barrier solutions
25% Reduction in Overexposure
Barriers and needed innovations
Barrier solutions
Empowerment & Education
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Project/Program Breakdown (FY 05)
Program area Exposure source & dose 1 project Engineering noise controls 4 projects Project Cross-Sectional Survey: Noise Exposure Patterns/Sources Pilot Study on Coal Cutting Noise Related to Continuous Mining Machines Engineering Noise Controls for Roof Bolting Machines A Health Hazards Study of Surface Drilling Operations Definition and Assessment of Engineering Noise Controls Empowerment & education 1 project Communication & PPE 1 project Health Communication Interventions for Hearing Loss Prevention Hearing Protection and Audibility Considerations
Majority of resources devoted to engineering noise controls
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Funding Breakdown (FY 05)
Project Cross-Sectional Survey: Noise Exposure Patterns/Sources Pilot Study on Coal Cutting Noise Related to Continuous Mining Machines Engineering Noise Controls for Roof Bolting Machines A Health Hazards Study of Surface Drilling Operations Personnel 246,589 135,158 386,618 Discret. 20,930 10,000 613,000 569,000 for chamber 26,800 Total 267,519 145,158 999,618
318,535
345,335
Definition and Assessment of Engineering Noise Controls
Health Communication Interventions for Hearing Loss Prevention Hearing Protection and Audibility Considerations
396,354
253,323 212,656
76,000
47,455 17,825
472,354
300,778 230,481 802,128 3,563,371
(Support and non-research accounts) Grand Total
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Project/Program Breakdown (FY 06)
Program area Exposure source & dose 1 project Engineering noise controls 3 projects Empowerment & education 1 project Project Cross-Sectional Survey: Noise Exposure Patterns/Sources Pilot Study on Longwall Mining Machine Noise Sources Engineering Noise Controls for Horizontal Vibrating Screens Engineering Noise Controls for Roof Bolting Machines Worker Empowerment Interventions for Hearing Loss Prevention
Communication & PPE Hearing Protection and Audibility Considerations 1 project
Total funding: $2,344K ($1,884K personnel, $460K discretionary)
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Hearing Loss Prevention Branch Organization Chart
R.J. Matetic
Branch Chief Rita Y. Baileys
Secretary
Audiology & Interventions Team
Noise Control Team
Robert F. Randolph
Team Leader
Peter G. Kovalchik
Team Leader
Daniel R. Babich Eric R. Bauer Roberta L. Hudak Arthur J. Hudson Efrem R. Reeves
Lynn A. Alcorn Paul Jurovcik Pat McElhinney Jeffrey S. (Shawn) Peterson Adam Smith Ellworth R. (Bud) Spencer David S. Yantek
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Hearing Loss Prevention Branch 16 Current Employees
• 12 Professionals • Professional Degrees • 1 Supervisory General – 2 PhD Engineer – 1 ABD (PhD cand.) • 3 Mining Engineers – 7 Master’s • 4 General Engineers – 8 Bachelor’s • 2 Mechanical Engineers • 4 Support staff • 1 Psychologist – 1 Secretary • 1 Occupational Health Nurse – 3 Technicians
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Hearing Loss Prevention Facilities
Hearing Loss Prevention Unit Mobile testing & interventions Acoustic Test Chamber Precision measurement of total sound power
Hemi-anechoic chamber Pinpoint noise source identification
Auditory Research Laboratory Hearing protector evaluation Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Hearing Loss Prevention Branch
Next: Exposure Source/Dose Dr. Eric Bauer
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory