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Speech Communication with Flat-Attenuation Hearing Protectors.

PB97104848

Publication Date	1995
Personal Author	Letowski, T.; Poch, N.; Lajubutu, O.; Good, S.; Lynch, D.; Myers, L.
Page Count	64
Abstract	The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of flat attenuation hearing protective devices (HPDs) in a simulated work environment and develop a HPD oriented speech communication measure to assess speech communication effectiveness between HPD wearers. Five potential measures of speech communication were compared to determine their usefulness for assessing communication efficiency with HPDs. Flat attenuation HPDs were evaluated in noisy environments. Speech communication in noise was assessed for HPD wearers with high frequency sersorineural hearing loss. Results indicated that HPDs negatively affected speech communication in noise under the conditions of the study. Noise attenuation and speech communication did not significantly differ among the earplugs compared in this study when all the earplugs were inserted using the informed user fitting protocol. Both speech perception and speech production were affected by HPDs. The Simulated Battleship Game protocol used, was found to have the potential to be developed into a standardized test for assessing speech communication under various listening conditions.
Keywords	Hearing protectors Speech Protective equipment Voice communication Ear protectors Noise exposure Hearing loss Effectiveness Assessments
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	95D - Human Factors Engineering 46A - Acoustics 44F - Health Care Forecasting Methodology
Corporate Authors	Harford Community Coll., Bel Air, MD. Office of Institutional Research.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept.
NTIS Issue Number	199701

Speech Communication with Flat-Attenuation Hearing Protectors.

Speech Communication with Flat-Attenuation Hearing Protectors.
PB97104848

Publication Date	1995
Personal Author	Letowski, T.; Poch, N.; Lajubutu, O.; Good, S.; Lynch, D.; Myers, L.
Page Count	64
Abstract	The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of flat attenuation hearing protective devices (HPDs) in a simulated work environment and develop a HPD oriented speech communication measure to assess speech communication effectiveness between HPD wearers. Five potential measures of speech communication were compared to determine their usefulness for assessing communication efficiency with HPDs. Flat attenuation HPDs were evaluated in noisy environments. Speech communication in noise was assessed for HPD wearers with high frequency sersorineural hearing loss. Results indicated that HPDs negatively affected speech communication in noise under the conditions of the study. Noise attenuation and speech communication did not significantly differ among the earplugs compared in this study when all the earplugs were inserted using the informed user fitting protocol. Both speech perception and speech production were affected by HPDs. The Simulated Battleship Game protocol used, was found to have the potential to be developed into a standardized test for assessing speech communication under various listening conditions.
Keywords	Hearing protectors Speech Protective equipment Voice communication Ear protectors Noise exposure Hearing loss Effectiveness Assessments
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	95D - Human Factors Engineering 46A - Acoustics 44F - Health Care Forecasting Methodology
Corporate Authors	Harford Community Coll., Bel Air, MD. Office of Institutional Research.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept.
NTIS Issue Number	199701