Hearing protection innovations go global

Australian company Sensear, developers of the award-winning electronic earmuffs and earplugs, are launching their products globally with exhibits at the A&A held in Dusseldorf, Germany this September and the National Safety Congress, held in Chicago in October.

The company will be introducing its first two commercial products, the electronic earmuffs and electronic earplugs, which can be used industrially to enable communication while preventing noise-induced hearing loss.

The products recently won two innovation awards at iAwards 2007.

Sensear managing director, Justin Miller said noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the world's most common occupational illnesses and the world's biggest compensatable occupational hazard.

"A February 2006 study by Access Economics reports NIHL cost Australia in excess of $4 billion in 2005," he said.

The underlying technology of the products was originally developed at the Western Australian Telecommunications Research Institute (WATRI). The core technology allows for speech recognition and enhancement, while still protecting the wearer from noisy background noise. Alarm signals are also recognised by the technology.

The products also allow users to speak on their mobile phones without removing hearing protection.

"The technology is a world first. It enables people to wear hearing protection and clearly hear face-to-face speech, as well as mobile phone and two-way radio conversations, in a diverse range of high noise environments," Miller said.

"We have trialled the products with several global companies, including Qantas, Alcoa and Rio Tinto, receiving very positive results."

Qantas occupational hygienist, Brian Smith, said successful results were obtained when the products were trialled with ground staff, baggage handlers and engineers.

"Initial trials of Sensear's earmuff products have proved successful and workplace assessment is ongoing," he said.

"Sensear's technologies may form part of our overall noise management program."