Protect Your Hearing: Connecticut Hearing Conservation Team

1. Connecticut Hearing Conservation Team Deborah Pease, MPH CONN-OSHA Breakfast Roundtable Discussion Tuesday, April 16, 2019 • Connecticut Department of Public Health • Keeping Connecticut Healthy

2. Who we are? • Local and diverse group of individuals who have come together with one common purpose; to provide educational information and support to local businesses, educators, students, and all workers in Connecticut. Together we represent a wide variety of employers and agencies. • CONN OSHA and US OSHA • US Department of Labor/OSHA • US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division • Department of Public Health • Occupational Health Clinics • CT Employers and Labor Unions (AFLCIO/CCIA and IUOE Local 478 Operating Engineers) • ConnectiCOSH

3. What we do? Our mission is to protect, reduce and control hearing loss among Connecticut workers, especially those employed in high-risk and noisy industries such as construction, mining, and manufacturing to ensure CT workplaces are safe and prosperous. • Local Industries and Safety Events • Logo and tagline “the world is loud protect your hearing now” • Website: www.theworldisloud.org • Created a public service announcement • Trainings on proper hearing safety and certifications • Facebook/Calendar of events that are up to date • Survey’s to collect faster more accurate data

4. Activities • March 2nd: IUOE Local 478 Safety Symposium,Hamden75+HS members • April 18th and 19th: Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 777 JATC, CT Construction Days 500+ from seventeen Vocational High Schools • April 27th: Middlesex Chamber of Commerce Career Fair, Wesleyan Campus 1,200+students from 12 Middlesex county High Schools • May 3rd and 4th: ABC Construction Career Fair 1200+ students from CT Vocational Technical High Schools. • CONNOSHA Roundtable Discussion

5. Why it’s Important? Noise induced hearing loss is a permanent public health problem that has devastating consequences facing all ages of the population. • Hearing loss is irreversible! • Hearing loss is chronic (over a long period of time). • Hearing loss is usually not perceived until too late. • Hearing loss is absolutely preventable!

6. Scope of the Problem • 1 out of every 8 people in the United States aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in BOTH ears. • Hearing loss by age: • 1 out of every 7 Americans aged 20 to 69 years have hearing loss due to noise exposure at work or during leisure activities. • 1 in 5 Americans report some degree of hearing loss. • 1 in 7 children aged 6 to 19 years have some degree of hearing loss. • Noise is a leading cause of hearing loss!

7. What causes hearing loss? • Exposure to loud noise • Certain drugs and chemicals • Aging • Heredity • Head injury • Headphone use • Childhood illness

8. Statistics and Your Hearing • Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States • 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, and an additional 9 million are exposed to chemicals associated to hearing loss. • $242 million is spent annually on Worker’s Compensation for hearing loss disability.

9. Have you experienced the following… • Trouble hearing people talk when there is background noise? • People sound like they are mumbling • Often have to ask people to repeat what they say • Turn up the radio or TV a lot • Have difficulty hearing people on the phone • Have constant ringing in your ears

10. NOISE Levels, Sound and Hearing

11. Hearing Protection Activity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5l4Rt4Ol7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZHWY1KBHwc

12. Open Discussion • Connecticut Department of Public Health • Keeping Connecticut Healthy