Howard Leight by Sperian has
introduced QuietDose, which is
claimed to be the only personal
dosimeter that measures and records
a worker’s actual in-ear exposure to
noise over an entire work shift.

“Existing noise measurement
devices only sample ambient sound.

This shortcoming forces employers
to estimate workplace noise levels
and base hearing protection on
potentially faulty conclusions which
can end up wasting money, risking
regulatory violations, and
endangering employee hearing,” said
Paul Barker, of Howard Leight by
Sperian.

“By contrast, the QuietDose
personal dosimeter measures the
actual noise levels reaching a
worker’s eardrums, in real-time, over
an entire work day. QuietDose
provides safety managers with an
unprecedented level of personalised
data to create the most customised,
and effective Hearing Conservation
Programs for each worker,” he said.

The QuietDose system consists of
a small Exposure Smart Protector
(ESP) Dosimeter that is worn by
employees in a shirt pocket or on the
back of a hardhat; special earplugs or
an earmuff with integrated
microphones that record real-time
in-ear noise levels; and a connecting
harness. An infrared reader enables
safety managers to retrieve data from
the ESP Dosimeter at the end of each
shift or work week and analyse the
results on a personal computer.