Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 7:00 pm

Speaker: Brad Witt, Sperian Hearing Protection, San Diego, CA

Topic: Evaluating Hearing Protectors

Attenuation of hearing protectors is measured in the laboratory and ultimately used to derive the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). But in the real world, those rated attenuations become meaningless --- how well an earplug protects hearing is literally in the hands of the worker. Field studies indicate real-world attenuation in the workplace is often quite different from the laboratory NRR. Recent developments in field verification systems help to bridge the gap from lab to workplace, and a variety of methods are now available to estimate – and in some cases measure – the field attenuation of protectors. The presentation will include a demonstration of field verification systems, and will review some of the alternatives to the NRR being considered or used internationally.

Brad Witt is Director of Hearing Conservation at Sperian Hearing Protection in San Diego. He has a B.S. in Communication Disorders from Brigham Young University, and an M.A. in Audiology from Northwestern University. For fourteen years, he managed a hearing conservation practice, providing OSHA-standard services at 175 locations in the western U.S. He is past president of the National Hearing Conservation Association, and prior to joining Sperian Hearing Protection, was Industrial Audiologist for six years at Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia. In his present position, he manages the Acoustical Laboratory where hearing protectors are tested, and provides training to professional groups in all aspects of hearing conservation.

Time: 7:00-7:30 pm Coffee and Refreshments

7:30-8:30 pm Meeting

8:30-9:00 pm Coffee and Discussion

Place: Veterans Administration Medical Center, Room 6001 (6^th floor)

Wilshire and Sawtelle Boulevards (near 405 freeway)

Parking in front of Medical Center