There is a thing connected to aviation from its beginning. It’s the noise. In the early decades of the aviation development, when most of the airplanes were equipped with propeller engines,  that was not a big deal but now, with many aircraft equipped with powerful jet engines, it is. That is the main reason the U.S. Air Force (USAF) is set to begin the Total Exposure Health initiative with the goal of improving warfighters' health by preventing them from being exposed to noise. The proposals developed from this initiative could also help the civilian sector.

Total Exposure Health chief health strategist Dr. Richard Hartman said that the effects of noise are cumulative and measuring only workplace noise exposure fails to account for the other 16 hours of exposure outside the workplace.

As part of the initiative, the USAF will measure all forms of noise that the soldiers are exposed to throughout their day, including sources outside of work.

The two-week-long study also explores the potential benefits of using earmuffs, basic hearing protection and custom form-fitted hearing protection to reduce noise related health issues.

Results from the study will pave the way for further research to prevent hearing loss in soldiers.

 

Author: Daniel Kasprzycki
Photo: Aviation noise is the serious problem and challenge nowadays (PDP)
Source: USAF to study effects of noise exposure on health, www.airforce-technology.com{jcomments off}