3M™ E-A-R™ Hearing Loss Prevention Seminars

Administration of a comprehensive and effective hearing conservation/hearing loss prevention program consists of more than merely purchasing and dispensing hearing protectors. This seminar will touch on all seven elements of a hearing conservation program, in a practical and realistic manner, providing recommendations to help you ensure the protection of the worker and compliance with the law.

Emphasis will be placed upon:
 

• Pro-active prevention techniques and tools
• Understanding hearing protectors: how they are tested and rated, and how they perform in the real world
• Selecting hearing protectors, for the worker’s needs, the environmental conditions, and job demands
• Technology to help when balancing the need to protect while recognizing the workers’ need to hear at work
• The benefits of hearing protector fit-testing
• Trends in hearing conservation such as overprotection, audibility, advanced hearing protectors
• Knowing what goes into determining STS and work-related hearing loss
• Motivating workers to care for their hearing

Interactive activities, demonstrations, and presentation materials founded on adult learning principles will be employed.

The program is designed for industrial, government, and military personnel who are involved in, or responsible for hearing conservation and the dispensing of hearing protection devices. Attendees normally include: industrial hygienists, health and safety personnel, nurses, audiologists, consultants, engineers, medical staff.

Applicants should possess a basic understanding of noise measurement terminology and existing noise legislation, although attendance is open to all who are interested.

Requirements
Full-day attendance and completion of a course evaluation form is required.

This program offers up to 6.5 contact hours (1,0 CEU) from the Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach of participation in a structured continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship and qualified instruction.

Participants are expected to claim contact hours only for actual time spent in this learning activity. This activity is co-provided by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

This program is designed to meet the criteria for ABOHN recertification

This program has been designed to meet the criteria for 1.0 COC as specified by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.

This program contains 6.5 hours of technical content which can be claimed for ABIH CM credit (1.0 CM Point).

Pegeen Smith is a board certified occupational health nurse working as an Application Engineer with 3M Company’s Personal Safety Division with over 16 years of experience in hearing conservation. She has conducted research on hearing protector fit testing systems used in hearing conservation programs. Pegeen has written several articles for the AAOHN journal and has presented numerous times at the AAOHN National Conference as well as at regional conferences, National Hearing Conservation Association, and at AIHce. She is the co-author of the soon to be published 6th Edition of the Noise Manual Chapter on Fit Testing Systems. Pegeen has managed multiple events emphasizing the use of advanced hearing protection for workers.

Dr. Fallon currently works for 3M Company as a Senior Technical Service Specialist. Having spent 25 years in the military as an artillery man and audiologist, Eric has managed hearing conservation programs as large as 48,000 personnel. He has had multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan and has seen, firsthand, the challenges of communicating in noisy environments. He routinely works with the military community in solving tactical communication issues and is broadening that interest to the industrial workplace. Eric holds a Doctorate degree in Audiology, and a Certificate of Clinical Competency in `Audiology with the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and is a Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation Course (CAOHC) Director.

Dr. Wells is a board-certified audiologist, specialized in occupational hearing loss prevention. She is a Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist with 3M Personal Safety Division. Laurie is the immediate Past-Chair of the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) and served on the CAOHC Council for 12 years. Dr. Wells has directed numerous CAOHC courses, graduate audiology courses, and made frequent presentations at professional conferences. She is also a Past-President of the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA).