Damage Prevention Navigation (tentative name)Takeshi NakaichiNew Market Development Group, R&D Department, R&D Center. Joined Rion in 1995. He was involved in the development of the NB-14 noise dosimeter. As a leader in research on preventing noise-induced hearing loss, he’s contributed to the Rion brand in the occupational health industry and the usefulness of the NB-14.Aoi TakedaNew Market Development Group, R&D Department, R&D Center. Joined Rion in 2021. As a member of the research team on noise-induced hearing loss prevention, she’s been actively involved in field surveys and research. Her expertise in customer interviews and research related to occupational health is unmatched within the company. She’s a key researcher in the development of the Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Prevention Navigator.Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Prevention Navigator (tentative name)Development for the Navigator began in April 2021. Currently, an existing audiometer is com-bined with a computer app to create a system for educating employees, supporting selection of correct earplugs, and evaluating effective-ness when worn. Ultimately, the product will be a comprehensive system for prevention, mea-surement, countermeasures, and education. Development is currently underway, including repeated test trials.Covering every topic necessary to prevent noise-induced hearing lossDevices used by the workerEarphones and response buttonDevices used by the measurement operatorPC with the app installed and the measuring deviceAs if to encourage their project, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued new guidelines in 2023 titled Guide-lines for the Prevention of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (Labour Standards Bureau Notification No. 2, April 20, 2023). This was the first revision in 31 years. While the previous guidelines provid-ed no requirements for earplugs to be used, the new guidelines became more specific in this respect. Earplugs are now required to have sound insulation performance that’s neither too high nor too low—meaning we must select the earplugs that reduce sound levels to between 70 and 80 dB. With the issuance of the new guidelines, industries where employees work in noisy envi-ronments have had to implement measures to protect them from noise exposure.Earplugs come in various types. Terms for sound insulation parameters, like SNR and NRR, can be found on their packages, with higher numbers indicating better performance. The NRR values are primarily used in the United States, while SNR values are used mainly in the EU and in Japan. Both values are expressed in units of decibels (dB). For example, in an environment where the sound level is 110 dB, you would need earplugs with an NRR value of 30 to suppress noise to 80 dB or lower: 110 − 30 = 80.Overseas, most tests associated with noise reduction are handled by audio experts. But in Japan, it’s common practice for someone from the human resources or general affairs to be appointed as the manager responsible for noise-induced hearing loss prevention. In many cases, these people lack audio expertise. Even if they have numerical data on how sounds are perceived when earplugs are worn, they often don’t know how to use such data. To address this issue, the New Market Development Group is currently developing an app that includes all the steps, from education on how to use earplugs, selecting the optimal earplug, all the way to verifying their effectiveness through numerical data. This app will ensure proper fit and wear, allowing individuals who have no specialized knowledge of sound to prevent noise-induced hearing loss.This app starts with a video, explaining the causes of noise-in-duced hearing loss and the importance of using earplugs to help users understand their significance. It goes on to introduce the correct way to wear earplugs. The app measures the effectiveness of the earplugs when worn correctly and determines whether the earplugs are suitable for the noise levels at a particular work site. If the earplugs are deemed unsuitable, users can try again with another type of earplug, as advised by the app, or check to see if they’re wearing the earplugs correctly.“The app is still at the prototype stage,” explains Takeda, “so no links to other websites are active yet. But we’re considering incor-porating links to access the earplug manufacturer or the online stores to purchase them.”The program already incorporates catalog data for 53 types of earplugs from three manufacturers. Several companies, including automotive parts manufacturers and chemical manufacturers, were invited for the trial testing to identify any issues in its beta system. The development team is working to resolve these issues through trial and error efforts. Ultimately, user companies will be able to create their in-house advanced occupational health management system by combining the results of fit tests and noise dosimeter and sound level meter measurements and sharing them within the organization. Nakaichi seeks commercialization of this project under a broader framework called the Hearing Protection Program. Linking this app to a centralized system that manages the results of noise measurements and hearing tests will lead to a comprehensive risk management system contributing to noise hazard prevention. “Users are not limited to those in the manu-facturing industry alone,” says Nakaichi. “I hope we can target all workplaces where workers face noise problems.” He has a broad vision for the future.15
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