Hearing Conservation

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Description

Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Audiology and Hearing Conservation (AuHCon) clinic supports NASA’s efforts in preventing noise-induced hearing loss among the astronaut crew and pilots, as well as other personnel working in noise-hazardous activities. Routine exposure to hazardous noise (such as jet engines, heavy equipment, and power tools) presents a serious risk for permanent hearing loss and mission success. A hearing conservation program (HCP) is in place at JSC that is intended to not just comply with federal regulatory safety and health requirements, but offer the best practices known in the hearing conservation community re: personal hearing protection, noise monitoring and control practices, health education, early detection of hearing loss through audiometric monitoring and follow-up and other services.

The audiologist-manager of the AuHCon clinic is the Professional Supervisor of Flight Medicine's HCP, including review of hearing test results and recommendations to flight surgeons. He also provides consultations to the Occupational Medicine Clinic.

Web Links

• ACOEM: Position on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
• ACOEM: Position on Professional Supervisor of Audiometric Testing
• American Academy of Audiology Position on Preventing Noise-Induced Occupational Hearing Loss
• Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC)
• NASA Glenn Research Center Auditory Demonstration Laboratory
• NASA:  Occupational Medicine Topics
• NASA: JSC Acoustics and Noise Control Laboratory (ANCL)
• NASA: JSC Space Life Sciences
• National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA)
• NIOSH:  Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention Topics
• NIOSH: Criteria for a Recommended Standard in Occupational Noise Exposure
• OSHA:  Hearing Conservation Amendment
• OSHA:  Occupational Noise Exposure Topics