New Bimonthly Series on Hearing Conservation Available Free from Howard Leight/Bilsom

Smithfield, RI — Newly available from the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group is a series of short articles designed to address the questions and concerns of safety professionals engaged in the development and implementation of hearing conservation programs. Authored by expert hearing conservationists and edited by noted hearing conservation authority Brad Witt, “Sound Source” is issued bimonthly and is available free as a service to the industry.

“There are already a number of resources available that do an excellent job covering the technical aspects of hearing conservation,” said principal author and series editor, Brad Witt. “But in responding to questions we get from the field, we saw the need for a more relevant, user-friendly source that directly addresses the questions and concerns safety professionals have about hearing conservation programs and new technologies.”

Written in a straightforward, easy to understand style, Sound Source is intended for safety professionals, including industrial hygienists, audiologists, hearing conservationists, students, and interested members of the public. Utilizing both a question/answer and topical format, the series is designed to focus on specific issues of concern. Topics addressed to date include:

 “Understanding Ratings,” which describes the various ratings listed on hearing protection device (HPD) packaging, including NRR, SNR, SLC80, and CSA
 “Earmuffs & Safety Eyewear,” which reports on a study done to measure the reduction in mean attenuation resulting from wearing safety eyewear with earmuffs
 “Radio Earmuffs & Noise Exposure,” which describes how to calculate net effective noise exposure levels when using radio earmuff products in various noise environments
 “A- and C-Weighted Noise Measurements,” exploring these different sensitivity scales for noise measurement
 “Absorbent Pads and Earmuffs,” exploring the effects of absorbent pads attached to the ear cushion of an earmuff
 “How NRR is Calculated,” an overview of the laboratory testing and mathematical calculations required by ANSI S3.19-1974 to determine Noise Reduction Ratings
 “Air Flow Control Technology,” explaining the engineering design behind Bilsom’s latest technology innovation

An experienced audiologist who is well known in Occupational Audiology and Hearing Conservation circles, Brad Witt is Audiology and Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group. A past president of the National Hearing Conservation Association (1992) and member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Brad has spent much of his career in the field as an Occupational Audiologist and understands hearing conservation issues from the user’s perspective. With degrees from Brigham Young and Northwestern Universities, Brad has a unique ability to present these issues in a clear and compelling fashion, and has published more than a dozen articles on information management and industrial audiology.

Combining the innovation and expertise of Howard Leight(r) Earplugs and Bilsom(r) Earmuffs, the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group is a world leader in hearing safety.

Bacou-Dalloz is the world leader in the design, manufacture and sale of personal protective equipment, offering a comprehensive range of safety products designed to protect people from hazards in the workplace. The Group specializes in head protection equipment (eye and face, respiratory and hearing protection), body protection equipment (clothing, gloves and footwear) and fall protection equipment. With a worldwide presence and over 6,000 people, Bacou-Dalloz endeavors to contribute to ongoing improvements in workplace health and safety by providing innovative, comfort-engineered products that workers want to wear. The Groups products are sold through a worldwide network of distributor partners for use in all sectors of activity (construction, manufacturing, telecommunications, homeland security, petrochemicals, medical, public services, etc.). Bacou-Dalloz is listed on the Premier March of the Euronext stock exchange in Paris, and is part of the SBF 120 index.

Sound Source are available for download from the new Howard Leight/Bilsom website at www.hearingportal.com, or you may call 1-800-977-9177 to request a complete set of Sound Source issues.

For additional product information, contact:
Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group
7828 Waterville Road
San Diego, CA 92154
Tel: 800/430-5490
Fax: 401/232-3110
http://www.hearingportal.com