Effective hearing conservation demands new technology and re-engineering

 

 

R.J. Steenkamp

Department of Business Management, Unisa, South Africa steenrj@unisa.ac.za

 

 

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ABSTRACT

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among the most critical global health concerns, given the high NIHL compensation statistics and a figure of up to 10,000 noise-related deaths each year. Industrial engineers / operations managers are now confronted with a serious challenge to control first-level noise in a modern engineering context to ensure that machines are quiet and administrative controls are well maintained. While noise continues, however, second-level noise control (hearing conservation) needs to be effective. To this end, a new management approach, re-engineering, redesign, and new hearing conservation programme (HCP) technology are required. The focus of this report is on an HCP model based on new HCP technologies (and management approaches) and a quality management method referred to as 'verification methodology'.

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OPSOMMING

Die wêreldgesondheidorganisasie (WHO) lys NIHL (geraasdoofheid) onder die mees kritieke globale gesondheidsprioriteite, gegewe die hoë NIHL kompensasiestatistiek en die ongeveer 10,000 geraasverwante sterftes per jaar. Bedryfsingenieurs en operasionele bestuurders word nou gekonfronteer met hierdie ernstige uitdaging wat beteken dat eerste vlak geraasbeheer in die konteks van moderne ingenieurswese gedoen moet word sodat masjiene gestil word en administratiewe beheermaatreëls goed in stand gehou word. Terwyl geraas voortduur, moet tweede vlak geraasbeheer (gehoorkonservering) effektief wees, wat 'n nuwe bestuursbenadering, heringenieuring ("re-engineering"), herontwerp, en nuwe gehoorkonserverings-programtegnologie vereis. Die fokus van hierdie artikel is op 'n gehoorkonserverings-model gebaseer op nuwe gehoorkonserveringstegnologie (en bestuurs-benaderings) en 'n gehaltebestuur-metode wat as 'n verifikasiemetodologie verwys word.

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