Video dosimetry as a method to reduce noise induced hearing loss

Risk perception plays an important role in a person's decision to wear hearing protection to reduce the occurrence of noise induced hearing loss. Therefore, as part of the safety training for a worksite, it is important to educate workers about the potential sources of noise exposure at the worksite so that the workers are aware of the risk. However, teaching a workforce with a range of educational and language skill levels about the risk of noise at the workplace can be a challenge. Instructing people that sources of noise such as machinery are loud may not effectively communicate to people that they could be exposed to noise which is loud enough to damage their hearing. Furthermore, not all of the sources of noise at the worksite may be known or included in the safety training, potentially leading the workers to believe that they are not exposed to high noise emission levels when they actually are at the worksite. This paper describes a measurement method called video dosimetry which combines images taken with a wearable camera with sound pressure levels measured using a dosimeter to create first person videos. The videos show the actions the person wearing the camera was engaged in at the worksite and the corresponding exposure levels. This information can help safety advisors to identify the noise exposure risk while engaged in common actions at the worksite. Furthermore, the videos based on first person images represent an engaging tool for educating at risk workers about the noise exposure levels associated with common activities occurring in the worksite.