NIOSH Mining Laboratory
Hearing Loss Prevention Unit |
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| The Hearing Loss Prevention Unit mobile laboratory |
The Hearing Loss Prevention Unit (HLPU) is a mobile lab for taking NIOSH Mining hearing loss prevention research to workers and their families. On the outside, it is a 32-foot trailer towed by a heavy-duty pickup truck. Inside the sound-insulated trailer is a full hearing research clinic consisting of a four-person testing booth and a training/counseling area. It contains instruments to perform extensive hearing valuations, a one-of-a-kind system that fit-tests hearing protectors for four people at once, and computers to control all of the instruments. The laboratory also contains an audiovisual training system.
The HLPU can be configured to perform a wide range of research tasks. It has been used to perform experiments on a new earplug insertion technique, evaluate a training program using hearing test feedback, and support a study on more effective hearing loss prevention programs.