NIOSH and NHCA present 2017 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards

Contact: Nura Sadeghpour (202) 245-0673

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in partnership with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2017 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award™. The award honors those that have contributed to the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus through effective practices or innovations directed to those who are exposed to noise at work. The award will be presented at the Annual Hearing Conservation Conference on February 24th, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas.

This year's award will be presented to Ryan Lee Scott, Deputy Sheriff with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, who demonstrated initiative and innovation in examining noise exposure among police officers and presenting potential solutions in order to be safer on the job.

"Hearing is a critical sense for a police officer, who uses it to communicate and monitor the safety of community members, fellow officers, and themselves", said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. "Deputy Sheriff Scott is a pioneer, examining the noise exposure problem among his colleagues and developing an innovative approach to bring solutions to the law enforcement community."

Scott contributed to studies on the high-level impulse sounds produced by firearms and interventions that can minimize the risk, and developed an educational workshop, "Firearms Training and Hearing Loss", tailored specifically to the law enforcement community. His commitment is even more noteworthy as he has invested both his personal time and money to voluntarily develop, travel, and deliver his training sessions. In doing so, he has also worked to increase the availability of technological solutions and devices that integrate hearing protection with radio communication systems, so that situational awareness is preserved for those whose hearing is critical to job performance and safety. Scott’s initiative and leadership efforts to promote hearing loss prevention and dissemination of evidence-based information on this topic demonstrate his true passion and commitment to reducing noise-induced hearing loss among his colleagues in the law enforcement community.

Scott’s presentation will be available at http://www.safeinsound.us/winners.html at the awards ceremony. For further information please visit www.safeinsound.us.

NIOSH recommends removing hazardous noise from the workplace whenever possible and implementing an effective hearing loss prevention program in those situations where dangerous noise exposures have not yet been controlled or eliminated. For more information about noise and hearing loss prevention research at NIOSH please visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/

For information on the evaluation, measurement, and control of noise at indoor firing ranges please visit https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ranges/

NIOSH is the federal institute that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries and illnesses. Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH. More information about NIOSH can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh.

Nominations for the next Safe-in-Sound awards will be accepted until July 15, 2017