Defense dollars and tinnitus R&D

Tinnitus is a condition that afflicts about 12% of adults aged 55 to 65. Other younger adults, US combat service veterans are also affected. According to a recent Scientific American article, the U.S. Department of Defense has commissioned a firm to address the problem by developing the concept for a small delivery device inserted near the membrane-covered window separating the middle ear from the inner ear. Once there, the device would utilize embedded micro-wireless to allow controlled  release of a drug into the cochlea. When the device has used up its supply of drugs, it would dissolve.

The project is in the very early stages and years away from any clinical testing.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=tinnitus-treatment 

On second thought, noise is what it always was

It seems like I just wrote about this topic... because I did, last week. Yesterday, OSHA announced that, upon further consideration, they will not be changing their interpretation of the occupational noise control standard.

Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, said  "...it is clear from the concerns raised about this proposal that addressing this problem requires much more public outreach and many more resources than we had originally anticipated." One could surmise that given the current landscape of Capitol Hill that this proposal will not be returning soon.

Text of news release is here.

Noise and ototoxic substances

Next item to be placed into my "Read This" folder comes from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. It is a literature review entitled, Combined Exposure to Noise and Ototoxic Substances.

"Workers are commonly exposed to multiple agents. Physiological interactions with some mixed exposures can lead to an increase in the severity of a harmful effect. This applies not only to the combination of interfering chemical substances but in certain cases to the co-action of chemical and physical factors as well. Hence, it is obvious that the effects of ototoxic substances on ear function can be aggravated by noise, which remains a well-established cause of hearing impairment."

Link: http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/literature_reviews/combined-exposure-to-noise-and-ototoxic-substances

Power tool noise level database

NIOSH developed an informational database of power tools commonly used in the occupational setting. The database includes data gathered by NIOSH researchers, and could be helpful in determining the "real-world" noise level of power tools as they are used on the job. The database contains such information as sound power levels, sound pressure level and downloadable exposure and wave files. Further, links to the NIOSH Hearing Protector Compendium are included to assist in choosing appropriate hearing protection.

Link: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/niosh-sound-vibration/

Online tool to check hearing protection

To help you get the most from your hearing protectors, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Research Laboratory developed QuickFitWeb, an online tool to check your hearing protection in a minute or less.

To read more about, check the following links:

NIOSH Science Blog entry on the topic

Test and instructions