The National Hearing Conservation Association [NHCA] announces that its 35th annual conference will be held February 25-27, 2010 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Titled "Explore the World of Hearing Loss Prevention," the conference will focus on various topics of local and international concern, including "whole life" hearing loss prevention;chemicals, ototoxicity and otoprotection;and the impending change to the Noise Reduction Rating in the United States.
"National boundaries are no longer obstacles to the transfer of knowledge, and hearing conservation is not limited to industry," said Thais C. Morata, Ph.D., NHCA 2010 Conference Chair. "Sharing good practices is at the core of NHCA's efforts towards building a culture that promotes healthy hearing. Our 2010 conference seeks to optimize the exchange of experiences and skills, facilitate new partnerships and expedite the research process worldwide in the pursuit of hearing loss prevention in all walks of life."
The 2010 NHCA conference will feature a full slate of workshops, presentations, panel discussions and poster presentations on a wide range of topics, including: an international perspective on the latest research on hearing loss prevention;public and personal health issues related to noise exposure and hearing loss;recent public health and military initiatives for hearing loss prevention;novel strategies in hearing loss prevention programs in different settings;music exposure;firearms exposures;hearing loss prevention training and education;health communication strategies;new and upcoming legislations and recommendations;hearing protection device innovations and measurement;and approaches to noise control.
The conference program will include several featured speakers, including:
- Hugh Davies of the School of Environmental Health, University of British Columbia, Canada, will present the keynote lecture "Noise and Cardiovascular Disease: Can Hearing Conservation Programs Prevent Heart Attacks, Too?" on Friday, February 26, 2010.
- Jean-luc Doumont of Principiæ's Training, Consulting and Publishing, Belgium, will present "Effective Slides: Design, Construction and Use" as the featured luncheon lecture on Friday, February 26, 2010.
- Christine Harrison, of the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia, Canada, will present the motivational Gasaway Lecture "Have Hard Hat, Will Travel: Hearing Conservation in the Great White North" on Saturday, February 27, 2010.
Eight workshops will take place on Thursday, February 25, 2010. New to the workshop offering include "Effective Presentations: Structure and Delivery";"Hearing Loss Prevention for Music-Related Professions";"Persisting Challenges of the 1980-85 Hearing Conservation Amendment";and "Hands-On Hearing Protection Fit Testing." The program will also include recurring topics, such as: "The Basics of Hearing Loss Prevention";"Recreational Firearm Noise Exposure";"Acoustics and Audiology in Forensics and Legal Practice";and "Issues in Professional Service Organizations."
The 2010 Safe-In-Sound Awards™ will be presented during the conference. The Safe-in-Sound Award recognizes organizations that document measurable achievements in hearing loss prevention programs in construction, manufacturing and service sectors. In addition, the award recognizes "Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention" across all sectors.
