PPE


Free Seminar: OH&S Virtual Event 2010

Information provided by OHSonline.com

Register today to attend one of the most comprehensive health & safety events of the season – from the convenience of your own office!

Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to experience our free virtual expo area and learn firsthand from leaders in the health and safety industry about the key trends and technologies that will help you save money, improve efficiency, and ensure compliance in 2010 and beyond.

Presentations will include:

  • “Inside OSHA Politics” presented by Government Affairs Directors Aaron Trippler (left), American Industrial Hygiene Association, and Dave Heidorn, American Society of Safety Engineers. Aaron and Dave will discuss this year’s important federal and state safety and health legislation and the political landscape ahead of the 2010 midterm elections.
  • “World’s PPE Markets in 2010” presented by Sanjiv Bhaskar, Global Director, Personal Protective Equipment for Frost & Sullivan. Sanjiv will discuss trends in the PPE industry, global PPE markets in 2010, where growth areas can be found, and the outlook in the markets for 2011.

Plus more presenters to be announced soon!

Each presentation will be followed by a LIVE Q&A session. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity!

Register HERE

More information HERE


Ask the Expert: Low Noise Attenuation Earplugs

noise_manual

Ask the Expert:  Elliott Berger, author and editor of The Noise Manual (available at AIHA press or Amazon), recently commented on the use of low attenuation ear plugs for use in industry on the Yahoo Groups AIHA listserv.

In looking over recent posts on low-attenuation earplugs I was pleased to see awareness of the issue of over protection. The E-A-R Hi-Fi earplug was mentioned and indeed that is one moderately priced alternative to obtain less attenuation and a more neutral attenuation characteristic that sounds more natural. Unfortunately there are limited choices in this regard today since there isn’t much pull through from the occupational community. In fact, 3M used to sell the Hi-Fi earplug in the industrial market at the UltraTech (and still does in Europe), but in the US there is so much emphasis on high NRRs that it was difficult to garner interest. Today you can find them at various online retailers.

Another excellent uniform attenuation/moderate attenuation hearing protector, in fact the ultimate embodiment of that style is the Etymotic ER-15 Musician’s earplug. It is truly exceptional but will set you back about $150 per pair. It is cost justified for certain occupations such as musicians where the best fidelity is required. Go to www.etymotic.com to learn more.

To learn more about the effects of HPDs on communications see EARLog 13 found here: http://www.e-a-r.com/hearingconservation/earlog_main.cfm

Elliott H. Berger
Senior Scientist, Auditory Research
3M Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division
7911 Zionsville Road
Indianapolis, IN 46268-1657
317-692-3031 w
866-428-3942 f
317-752-0614 c
www.E-A-R.com/hearingconservation

Courtesy of Elliott Berger