We are excited to have you join us for an amazing educational line up, check out the agenda below for the 2025 Conference. Please note that this agenda is subject to change.
Hearing protection devices (HPDs) play a critical role in mitigating noise-induced hearing loss in occupational settings. However, these devices often alter signals, hindering communication and localization abilities, particularly for workers with pre-existing hearing loss for which HPDs may attenuate key signals below their hearing thresholds. While hearing aids have shown promise in addressing similar issues in everyday noise, limited research exists on their efficacy in noisy industrial settings. This study evaluates the performance of typical hearing aid algorithms implemented on a digital hearing protection device, specifically assessing their impact on speech intelligibility in industrial noise. Algorithms under investigation include wide dynamic range compression, linear amplification, compression limiting, noise reduction, and various combinations thereof. Using an adapted Hearing-in-Noise-Test, speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured in both industrial noise and quiet conditions for 10 participants with normal hearing and 24 participants with mild to moderate hearing loss. Participants also rated the comfort and quality of the speech signal for each algorithm configuration. This comparison of SRTs and subjective rating provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of various algorithms configurations. The findings will guide further research into optimizing digital HPDs for occupational environments, ultimately improving communication and safety for workers with hearing loss.
