5 safety and hygiene practices to double-check in 2019

February 12, 2019

Now is the time for occupational safety professionals to check that the safety and hygiene practices in place at their workplaces are compliant with regulatory bodies — like OSHA — and will safeguard workers’ wellbeing.

Data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that workplace accidents show a prolonged downward trend, but that’s no reason to get complacent.

 

Here are five things safety managers should verify in 2019

1. Equipment and behaviors to minimize falls

Falls are a leading cause of workplace injuries. On January 17, 2017, OSHA enacted new rules regarding workplace surfaces and reducing falls as well as ways to prevent falls that happen when workers perform tasks at dangerous heights. One of those recent stipulations involves letting employers choose their fall protection systems by selecting from approved options.

Plus, occupational safety personnel should remind workers to exercise caution on slick and wet surfaces, use signs to warn others of hazardous surfaces and employ handrails or floor mats to further reduce risks.

2. A process for ill workers — especially those handling food

When people come to work sick, they could make their colleagues and members of the public ill too. That risk is particularly apparent among food service workers. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that 20 percent of workers completed at least one shift while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea. They could pass their illnesses on to people they interact with on a given day as well as the individuals who eat the foods they serve.

One of the best ways to discourage people from showing up sick is to create a procedure for them to follow for notifying supervisors of their illnesses so that those managers can find coverage when necessary. The Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code stipulates that ill food service employees with certain symptoms must notify management.

3. Reasonable access to restrooms

Amazon recently came under fire after allegations that its employees urinated in bottles to boost their chances of meeting performance targets and not having to go to the faraway restrooms. Of course, Amazon denied that claim, asserting that all of its employees could easily access facility restrooms.

Regardless of the legitimacy of the claim, the situation is a reminder that all companies must provide appropriate restroom access. For example, it’s unlawful to make assembly line workers delay using the bathroom to keep productivity and safety levels high. As an alternative, the employees could tell line overseers that they need bathroom breaks.

It’s also crucial that there are enough restrooms to serve the number of employees at an organization. Otherwise, their level of access may be considered unreasonable due to lengthy wait times.

4. Hearing Protection supplied to appropriate employees

Millions of people who work in jobs associated with exposure to noise that may impair a persons hearing. Proper hearing protection will prevent workers from getting long term hearing loss. Hearing Protection can consist of disposable hearing plugs, ear muffs and or custom (molded) hearing protection similar to CPE’s dB Blockers™. dB Blockers™ offer superior hearing protection while enabling workers to communicate clearly with each other. Learn More 

dB Blocker

5. Awareness and education for seasonal dangers

Seasonal dangers also exist that could pose safety risks. Fortunately, OSHA regularly issues updates to provide the necessary guidance, just as the organization did during hurricane season to give recommendations for blue roofs, or the practice of installing blue tarps over the affected areas of buildings with damaged roofs.

If workers have to endure extreme temperatures, employee safety means considering how to keep workers protected from the elements, such as by requiring them to wear clothes to protect them from frostbite during the winter or staying adequately hydrated during intensely hot days.

Fatigue can also be a workplace danger, especially during the busiest seasons of a year. A stockroom employee might work overtime at a retail facility during the holiday season and find that tiredness increases their risk of accidents.

Statistics from a National Safety Council survey found that 90 percent of employers recognize that fatigue impacts their organizations. Most workers feel tired at work, but less than three-quarters of them see fatigue as a safety risk. Fatigue is not only a risk during busy periods, of course, but organizations must be exceptionally aware of it during such times.

Check practices at least annually

It’s a good idea for organizations to assess the recommendations outlined here at least every year, making improvements as needed.

 


Original Article: https://www.ishn.com/articles/109896-safety-and-hygiene-practices-to-double-check-before-2019

Tips for protecting your hearing during the festivities.

December 14, 2018

Its that time of the year again. 

As a Hearing Conservation company we wanted to provide you with a few tips for protecting your hearing during the festivities:

  • Try to reduce as much background noise as possible. If you are having a conversation with a small group of people in a larger party, try to break off into a smaller section of the room that may not be as loud. Choose the calmest section of a restaurant or party to socialize in.
  • Sit in the center of the dinner table so you are close to people all around you. If you sit at the end of a long table, your chances of hearing the folks at the end of the table are minimal.
  • Try to keep good lighting to facilitate your ability to rely on facial cues to help fill in the blanks when you mishear something. We all lipread a bit. 
  • If the music is too loud at a party – as it often is – don’t hesitate to ask for the volume to reduced slightly or pull out your reliable dB Blockers to block some of that unwanted noise. 

You shouldn’t have to think about hearing over the holidays, however, if you find yourself constantly working hard to hear, or relying heavily on the tips above, it is time to have a hearing test. Contact us and we can help you protect your ears! 

Happy-Holidays-[Converte

Holiday Season Hours:

CLOSED

 Friday, December 21, 2018  -10:30 am – Tuesday, January 1, 2019 
will reopen under regular hours Wednesday, January 2, 2019

OPENED (HOLIDAY HOURS) 

Thursday, December 27th, & Friday, December 28th, 2018 –  8:00 am to 3:00 pm (PST)

Inquiries may be made at hear@protectear.com

From all of us at Custom Protect Ear –

Happy Holidays!

A Canadian Tragedy: Humboldt, Saskatchewan

April 10, 2018

A Canadian Tragedy

What is a common bus route for many young Saskatchewan athletes turned out to be a tragic accident which affected a nation. As a result, the loss simply terrible, 15 people were killed in the crash.

The 15-people killed in the crash included many young players, their coach, a play-by-play radio announcer, an 18-year-old stats-keeper and a bus driver.

A Message from Custom Protect Ear

The Custom Protect Ear Team would like to offer our deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and the Saskatchewan Community. We extend our deepest sympathies and this message for you during this very sad time:

“In times like this, we remember who we are and how we show up for our families, our friends, and our community. To the Saskatchewan and Humboldt Broncos hockey community: We will stand with you as your neighbor, your friend and as Canadians. We offer you support and courage during this time of mourning.”

Deepest Sympathy,

Howard Raphael
President
Custom Protect Ear

 

A Canadian Tragedy: Humboldt, Saskatchewan

 

2018 Olympics- be prepared and protected! 

February 20, 2018

 2018 Olympics- be prepared and protected!

Well, it looks like the Olympics are in full swing ahead.  The 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, more commonly known as PyeongChang 2018, is an international multi-sport event currently being held from 9 to 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Korea, with the opening rounds for certain events held on the eve of the opening ceremony—8 February 2018.

Pyeongchang was elected as the host in July 2011, during the 123rd IOC Session in Durban, South Africa. It marks the first time South Korea has hosted the Winter Olympics, and the second Olympics in the country overall after the 1988 Summer Olympics in the nation’s capital, Seoul.

The games feature 102 events in fifteen sports, with the addition of “big air” snowboarding, mass start speed skating, mixed doubles curling, and mixed team alpine skiing to the Winter Olympic program. 2,952 athletes from 92 National Olympic Committees are expected to compete.

2018-Olympics-
Protection Against Hearing Loss at the Olympics

With exposure to observing great athletes also puts spectators at risk of damaging their hearing from the noise in the stadiums. In previous Olympic games “officials have admitted that noise levels in the stadia have regularly been over 100 decibels, with the boxing arena hitting 113.7db during a fight involving Irish boxer Katie Taylor.” Exposure to loud noise above 85 decibels over time can cause permanent hearing damage and with the closing ceremony fast approaching, the decibel level is sure to be much higher.

The Olympic Committee and its advisors urge Games revelers to pack earplugs, which can protect your hearing by keeping loud noises out without shutting out other ambient noises.

“Action on Hearing Loss Audiologist Gemma Twitchen said: “With crowds going wild for Team GB, noise has been recorded at levels in excess of 100db, which is much louder than a jet engine taking off, in fact, it’s 10,000,000,000 times louder than the smallest sound your ears can hear!“A night in a noisy crowd could cause temporary tinnitus – ringing, whistling, humming or buzzing in your head or ears – or permanent hearing damage. This is not something you’d want to take home as an everlasting memory from the Games.

You wouldn’t think twice about standing close to a jet engine without hearing protection, so we’re urging people going to the closing ceremony or any of the events in the Olympics and Paralympics to take the very simple step of using earplugs.”

 


Athletes suffering from Hearing Loss

Amongst all these festivities and test of personal willpower and strength we always want to remember some of the challenges athletes have overcome and endured significant hearing loss challenges in the previous Olympics.

Adam Rippon, Figure Skating

Before his successful career as a figure skater, Adam Rippon had to overcome several health issues in his early years. He was born with an eye infection and 80 percent hearing loss, and he also suffered from a severe respiratory condition and burst appendix. Fortunately, surgery was able to restore most of his hearing, and he recovered from the other illnesses. Adam will be in competing in PyeongChang as one of three men on the U.S. figure skating team.

Amy Purdy, Snowboarding

About of bacterial meningitis at age 19 resulted in Amy Purdy’s legs being amputated below the knees and the removal of her kidneys and spleen. The disease also led to hearing loss. Despite these challenges, Amy has pursued her passions, including dancing, modeling, and snowboarding, for which she designed her own prosthetic leg. She won a bronze in the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games and will be competing once again in the 2018 event.

Elena Yakovishina, Downhill Skiing

Another athlete born with hearing loss, Elena Yakovishina is a downhill skier from Russia who hasn’t let her disability keep her off the slopes. She wears hearing aids while she competes, which she says improve her balance and help her perform better by hearing the wind and the skis. Hearing aids also helped Elena hear the cheers of her home crowd when she competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Carlo Orlandi (Italy, Boxing)

Orlandi is said to be the first deaf athlete to compete in the Olympic Games. The boxer was a gold medalist in the 1928 Olympic Games. In 1929 he turned professional, and in the 1930s he held both the Italian and European lightweight titles. He was born a deaf-mute.

Tamika Catchings (USA, Basketball)

The 24-year-old WNBA star was born with a hearing loss and incredible athleticism. She has completed 15 seasons in the WNBA, and she has earned WBNA Finals MVP honors as well as the Reynolds Society Achievement Award. The world-famous Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston give this award annually to an individual who has overcome hearing, vision, or voice loss and who have distinguished themselves and provided inspiration to others.

Jeff Float (USA, Swimming)

Float was the first person to win the gold medals in both the Deaf World Games and the Olympic Games. In 1977 he won 10 gold medals at the 13th World Games for the Deaf in Romania. In 1984 he became an Olympic champion at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. And he was the first deaf Olympian to openly display the universal ILY (I love you) sign on the pedestal during his medal ceremony at the Olympic Games.The first deaf swimmer to win a gold medal, Float recalls to Sports Illustrated the moment that changed his life: “It was the first time I remember hearing distinctive cheers at a meet. I’ll never forget what 17,000 screaming people sound like. It was incredible.” At 13 months old, Float contracted viral meningitis and consequently lost his hearing. He’s 90 percent deaf in his right ear and 65 percent in his left. He now wears digital hearing aids.He learned to read lips, but he was teased by the other kids at school because of a lisp. He tells SI, “Kids would boost their self-esteem by putting me down. Swimming gave me the self-confidence I couldn’t find anywhere else. Besides, my name isn’t ‘Field’ or ‘Court.’ It’s ‘Float’ — I had to swim.”


SOURCES

Listen up about hearing loss

October 17, 2017

Listen up about hearing loss

At a very young age, many of us are trained to take care of our health and hygiene. From washing our hands before we touch food to brushing our teeth at least a couple of times a day – it all revolves around prevention.

We are taught to understand that if you don’t take care of yourself, you might experience negative symptoms like a cavity in your teeth, a congested nose or blurriness in the eyes. Every day we read an article or hear about a deadly virus in the news, but many people are not aware of things that affect our health in a negative way until it is too late.

Hearing LossHearing protection - listen up

Hearing loss is an example of a  negative symptom many people today. Especially since we are impacted by the digital economy we live in; we are prone to noise from the time our alarm clocks go off. Hearing problems often start slowly over time. and lead to total deafness.


There are many causes of  Hearing loss can be divided into two main categories:

Conductive hearing loss (CHL) & Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)

Conductive hearing loss (CHL) occurs because of a mechanical problem in the outer or middle ear. The three tiny bones of the ear (ossicles) may not conduct sound properly. Or, the eardrum may not vibrate in response to sound. Fluid in the middle ear can cause this type of hearing loss.

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is due to a problem with the inner ear. It most often occurs when the tiny hair cells (nerve endings) that move sound through the ear are injured, diseased, do not work correctly, or have died. Learn more about Hearing Protection.

It has also been determined that untreated, hearing loss can lead to depression, dissatisfaction with life, reduced functional and cognitive health, and withdrawal from social activities. What you need to know about hearing loss is that it is irreversible.

Hearing Loss: Things to know

So how do you know if you have hearing loss? Quoted by the Canadian Foundation of Hearing.

Take the hearing loss quiz! Answer yes or no to the following:

  1. I often miss parts of conversations and continually ask people to repeat themselves.
  2. I find that the high and low tones of many sounds have disappeared. For example, I find it difficult to hear birds singing.
  3. My family or friends complain that I listen to the TV at too loud a volume.
  4. I have to turn up the volume on the telephone/cellphone to hear properly.
  5. I have difficulty distinguishing speech from background noises. For example, I often have difficulty following dinnertime conversation,  while others are talking and music is playing.
  6. I find myself straining to read lips and facial expressions just to understand what someone is saying to me.

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, then you need to have your hearing checked by a qualified audiologist. For a list of audiologists in your area, refer to your phone book or contact the Canadian Academy of Audiology or in the United States click here. In many cases, testing your hearing is a free service audiologist often offer.

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Remember hearing loss prevention is one of the many things you can avoid if you know what to avoid and what to look for. So listen up and be aware of sounds and noises that can cause damage over time to your hearing.

To learn more about custom hearing protection contact us today! 

Sound Advice.

 

October is National Protect Your Hearing Month.

October 10, 2017

National Protect Your Hearing Month

NIHL-

Well, it is that time of year again, October is National Protect Your Hearing Month.

As a leader in the custom hearing protection industry we, Custom Protect Ear, take this month very seriously as issues such as Noise-induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) greatly affects the industrial workforce. However, it does not stop there, people of all ages can develop noise-induced hearing loss. Hearing loss from too much noise exposure can happen in an instant or build over time, and it can’t be fixed.

Custom Protect Ear along with other affiliates encourage everyone to learn about noise-induced hearing loss and a preventable type of hearing loss

A recent Study  by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with support from the NIDCD, shows that based on certain features of their hearing test results, at least 10 million adults in the U.S. (6 percent of the population) under age 70—and perhaps as many as 40 million adults (24 percent)—may have hearing loss from noise in one or both ears.

The good news is that you can take steps to protect your hearing:

  • Move away from the noise. If you can’t lower the volume, put some distance between you and the source.
  • Lower the volume. Know which noises can cause damage (those at or above 85 decibels), such as listening through headphones at a high volume.
  • Wear hearing protectors, such as earplugs or earmuffs, when involved in a loud activity. Activity-specific earplugs and earmuffs are available at hardware and sporting goods stores.
  • Protect the ears of children who are too young to protect their own.
  • Tell family, friends, and colleagues about noise hazards.

Spread the word this October on how to prevent noise-induced hearing loss! Resources you can use to educate yourself with Hearing Loss Prevention PDF.

Noise Exposure Among Federal Wildland Fire Fighters

August 10, 2017

Noise Exposure Among Federal Wildland Fire Fighters

Posted on  by George Broyles , LCDR Corey Butler, CAPT Chuck Kardous

Hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States. NIOSH estimates that 22 million U.S. workers encounter noise exposures loud enough to be hazardous.  Wildland fire fighting (vs. urban/ structural fire fighting), aims to suppress grass, brush, or forest fires (see Figure 1).  Wildland fire fighting is considered a high-risk emergency response occupation requiring considerable physical and psychological demands. Wildland fire fighters often work 12 to more than 16 hours per shift for up to 14 consecutive days over a 3- to 9-month period [U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2008].

Figure 1. Wildland fire fighters during various fire suppression activities.

 

Wildland fire fighters often have extreme exposures to many physical agents and occupational hazards [Britton et al., 2013]. Similar to other high-risk occupations, research efforts and occupational safety and health programs have historically focused on identifying and preventing acute injuries and exposures, but less emphasis has been placed on research and prevention programs relating to chronic diseases or injuries such as occupational noise-induced hearing loss.

Although noise exposures and hearing loss among structural fire fighters have been well studied [Hong et al., 2008] and documented [National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 2013), wildland fire fighters have not received the same attention, nor have their noise exposures been empirically researched and studied. Wildland fire fighters may be repeatedly exposed to known sources of noise including chainsaws, aircraft, wood chippers, audio equipment, portable pumps and engine pumps, heavy equipment (e.g., bulldozers), and ambient noise from the wildfire itself.

In an effort to address noise exposures within this population, the United States Forest Service, Technology, and Development Program, in partnership with NIOSH, conducted a 3-year study to assess wildland fire fighters’ noise exposures during training and fire suppression tasks and to identify which jobs put these fire fighters at increased risk for NIHL. A recently published paper by USDA and NIOSH researchers on wildland fire fighters [Broyles et al., 2016] in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America reports on the initial results from the study, characterizes the most hazardous noise sources and job tasks based on personal dosimetry measurements, and provides specific and practical recommendations for protecting the hearing health of these fire fighters.

Noise exposure measurements were collected at 10 different fire locations during the 2014–2015 fire seasons. A total of 174 full-shift personal noise dosimetry measurements were conducted on 156 fire fighters in 14 different wildland fire fighting job categories. Overall, 85 of the 174 measurements were above the NIOSH maximum allowable daily dose.  Almost all masticator/chipper operators, pilots, pump operators, leaf blowers, sawyers and swampers, and bulldozer operators had TWAs that exceeded the NIOSH  recommended exposure level (REL) of 85 dBA (masticators/chippers TWAs reaching 105 dBA, sawyers and swampers TWAs reaching 106 dBA, and bulldozer operator TWAs reaching 112 dBA).  Fire fighters exposed to TWA of 105–106 dBA would exceed their maximum daily limit in just 4–5 minutes.  At 112 dBA, a bulldozer operator exceeded 100% noise dose in 56 seconds.  Bulldozer operators received the highest possible daily noise dose, some exceeding the OSHA maximum daily dose by 20-fold and the NIOSH maximum daily dose by 500-fold. It is interesting to note that four of the bulldozer operators had TWAs well below the NIOSH REL, most likely because they operated in a closed or environmental cabs which isolated the bulldozer operator from much of the noise generated from the heavy equipment.  Figure 2 contains the percentage of fire fighters’ personal dosimetry measurements that exceeded the NIOSH REL or the OSHA permissible exposure level (PEL) based on their specific activities or tasks.

Figure 2. Percentage of dosimetry samples exceeding the OSHA PEL and NIOSH REL per work category.

 

On the basis of these study results, wildland fire fighters may be considered at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. To prevent fire fighters from developing a hearing impairment, NIOSH recommends that all wildland fire fighters be enrolled in a hearing conservation program and that fire agencies establish and maintain fire service specific hearing loss prevention programs. In addition, the authors recommend additional studies to examine targeted approaches to mitigate risk among fire fighters with highest exposures.  See the full list of recommendations and read more about the noise exposures of wildland fire fighters in our recent paper: Noise exposure among federal wildland fire fighters.   If you are a wildland fire fighter or you work with wildland firefighters, please share your experiences with our readers.

George Broyles is a Fire and Fuels Project Leader with the Technology and Development Program, USDA Forest Service.

LCDR Corey Butler is an Occupational Safety and Health Specialist with the NIOSH Western States Division.

CAPT Chuck  Kardous is a senior research engineer with the NIOSH Division of Applied Research and Technology.

READ FULL ARTICLE 

 

Hearing Loss Prevention Beyond the Workplace

July 10, 2017
Industrial Hearing loss

 

As a Hearing Protection Manufacturer, we as a company are always speaking about Hearing Loss Prevention in the workplace. However, there are also Best Practices for developing a culture of hearing conservation, both at work and at home.

Since OSHA had implemented detailed noise exposure regulations (29 CFR 1910.95), employers and safety professionals have monitored noise levels, posted warning signs, purchased earplugs and routinely tested employees’ hearing. Other activities consisted of training programs for new employees, putting up posters and selected groups to be a part of the product buying process.

Although these activities are conducted to prevent hearing loss, workers are still continuing to suffer noise-induced hearing loss at alarming rates. The cost of noise-induced hearing loss in the United States is now measured in billions (not millions) of dollars annually.

Hearing Loss Prevention plan

Setting up the actual Hearing Loss Prevention plan is easy; the difficult task is getting workers to buy in and engage in the program. In addition, loud noises are not just limited to the workplace. Noise-induced hearing loss can be just as prevalent off the job as on the job, and exposure outside the workplace is often a lot less noticeable.

Build Buy-in on the Hearing Loss Prevention Plan – Educate & Engage beyond the workplace

Beyond employee adherence to safety rules, there are ways to utilize other controls for reducing noise exposure that will impact the worker on and off the job.

Additionally, OSHA offers a list of administrative controls that managers can use to minimize the risk:

  • Operating noisy machines during shifts with the fewest employees exposed
  • Limiting the number of time employees can work near a noise source
  • Providing quiet areas for employees to get a break from the noise
  • Restricting worker presence to a suitable distance away from a noise source
  • Establishing a hearing conservation program (required at sites exceeding the PEL)
  • Hold informative workshops on the importance of Hearing Loss Prevention on and off the job.

Some of these suggestions may be more feasible at your work site than others, so take advantage of those that you can logistically implement. Encourage employee participation in this process as well, because they tend to have the greatest exposure to noise, and thus may have insights for improving hearing protection. Many incidents of hearing loss from occupational noise exposure are preventable, and because completely eliminating the noise at work is often not an option, companies must take every measure possible to minimize its effects.

To learn how a Proper Safety plan is executed please check out our previous post: A Proper Executed Safety Program

Sources

http://www.selectinternational

Help Your Hearing, Improve Your Social Life, Get Healthier

February 22, 2017

Good hearing keeps you in the game, but how much is good social activity worth?

Various studies have linked social connections to better health and longer life, but it hasn’t been clear whether healthy people were more socially active to begin with.  A  review of 148 studies from researchers at Brigham Young University looked at healthy people who were followed for 7.5 years, on average.  The study(ies) controlled for the health of the subjects.

The results showed that the value of social interaction was stronger and than you might thing.  Based on the data from these studies,  weak social ties in your community are a major risk factor to your health,  at least as harmful to your health as smoking, lack of exercise or obesity. For instance:

  1.  You have a 50% lower risk of dying if you have close friends, family or work relationships.
  2.  Poor socialization threatens your health as much as if you were an alcoholic or were smoking a pack a day.
  3.  Poor social connections are harder on your health than not exercising, or being obese.

The study concludes that medical checkups should screen patients for social well being, with the goal of enhancing social connections.

It goes almost without saying that medical checkups should also screen patients for hearing loss, to ensure that patients have a good shot at maintaining social well being.  We think and hope readers will  agree that hearing well is an essential ingredient for developing and maintaining successful social networks.

Quality of Life

 

 

 

 

 

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Holidays and Hearing Loss: How to enjoy the sounds of the season

December 22, 2016

Holidays and Hearing Loss: How to enjoy the sounds of the season

For many people with hearing loss, the holidays can be especially challenging. While large family gatherings offer a great chance to catch up with friends and family, holiday parties can lead to challenging listening situations for people with hearing loss.

Here are some tips for people with hearing loss to better enjoy holiday gatherings.

Holidays and hearing loss: The tips

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  1. Find a quiet corner – Stand away from loudspeakers and noisy kitchens and position yourself in the quietest area of the room. This way you can hear conversation rather than noise.
  2. Pick your seat – If you’re having a sit-down dinner, pick a seat at the center of the table nearest to a close friend or relative. This way you have a better chance of hearing conversation and enjoying your meal.
  3. Pick your drink – A glass of wine can make you more relaxed – or it can confuse you and make your level of understanding worse. Be aware of what you are drinking and your own level of tolerance.
  4. Buddy up – Find a friend or relative with whom you can hang out at the party. This person can help you to feel more included in conversation and can repeat things you may not understand.

Have the “hearing loss” conversation

Holiday gatherings are a good time to have “the conversation” with friends and loved ones. We’re talking about the conversation about hearing loss and getting hearing aids. If you think your loved one is unable to hear correctly, take out your phone or tablet and encourage them to take an online hearing test. This is a great first step to help someone realize he has a hearing loss.

Help guests with hearing loss

You might not have hearing loss – but one of your guests might. Here are some tips on helping your guests with hearing loss enjoy your party”

  • Background music – Everyone loves a good Christmas carol, but when those carols are in the background of the conversations of 20+ people, no one can hear them anyways. Consider turning down the background music – or turning it off completely when several guests are socializing at once. People tend to speak louder to be heard over the music, so your music may in fact make the party louder.
  • Dish Duty – Hold off on cleaning the dishes until after your guests have left. For people with hearing loss, the clatter of kitchen dishes can distract from dinnertime conversation. Take time to enjoy your guests rather than worrying about the clean-up!
  • Seating – If you know that one of your guests has a hearing loss, seat that person at the center of the table closest to those with the quietest voices. It may also help if you sit next to that person, so you can help him or her to better understand the conversation.

Learn More 

FROM ALL OF US AT PROTECTEAR,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A PROSPEROUS 2017!

Happy Holiday

Please Note:

The office will be closed from Dec 26, 2016 – Jan 2, 2017.