Sarina Tran

Title: Enhancing Auditory Wellness: Evaluation and Recommendations for a University-wide Hearing Loss Prevention Program

Abstract:

This paper presents an in-depth evaluation of the University of Washington’s HearingLoss Prevention Program, a proactive initiative aimed to protect the auditory health of universityemployees. This analysis covers a comprehensive assessment of the program’s writtenframework, an evaluation of its overall effectiveness, and an exploration of distinctive challengesfaced during the program’s reconstruction following a 6-month hiatus and the introduction of anew team. The primary objective of this evaluation is to pinpoint areas that require improvementin alignment with state regulations. This aims to ensure that employee noise exposure remainsbelow the action level, and to take necessary actions when noise levels reach regulatory exposurelimits. The findings aim to provide actionable recommendations for exposure controls andprocess management improvements. By employing a combination of observations, discussions,sampling survey results, and a thorough examination of historical records, numerous areas forimprovement were identified. The results along with observational insight and subsequentrecommendations are discussed, in addition to unresolved aspects that still require attention.