Implementing an industrial hearing conservation program in the schools.

The harmful effects of exposure to high noise levels have been well-documented and include auditory and non-auditory factors. The most notable auditory effect is permanent loss of hearing, many times accompanied by the constant perception of a ringing-type noise in the ears (tinnitus). Despite this, there has been insufficient attention given to the hazardous effects of noise in the school health education curriculum. The industrial arts program is one area that deserves special attention because of the noise levels that teachers and students are exposed to in the classroom and the assumed future exposure that students will experience in their recreational and work experiences. This report describes a hearing conservation program implemented in the Industrial Arts Program in the Dallas Independent School District that attempts to provide: 1) protection for students and teachers using equipment that produces excessive, damaging noise; and 2) information to students on the hazardous effects of noise, so they will understand the consequences of not protecting their ears when exposed to excessive noise and the available means to protect their hearing. As the cost of the program was minimal, other school districts could implement similar programs with little additional resources and effort.