How hearing conservation training format impacts personal attenuation ratings in US Marine Corps Training Recruits

Objective The purpose of this fit-testing study in the field was to systematically compare three Hearing Protection Device (HPD) fit-training methods and determine whether they differ in the acquisition of HPD fitting skill and resulting amount of earplug attenuation. Design Subjects were randomly assigned to receive HPD fit-training using one of three training methods:current,experiential HPD(eHPD), andintegrated. Personal Attenuation Ratings (PARs) were acquired via HPD fit-testing and used to verify attenuations pre- and post-training. Study Sample US Marine training recruits (n = 341) identified via HPD fit-testing for remedial HPD fit-training and assigned to three cohorts. Results The post-training HPD fit-test passing rate differed by training method, with pass rates ranging from 50% (current) to nearly 92% (eHPD). The difference between group delta PAR values were significantly higher (>9 dB) in both the eHPD and integrated methods compared to the current method. Conclusion The HPD fit-training methods that teach what right feels like (eHPD and integrated) provided a greater number of trainees with the skill to achieve noise attenuation values required for impulse noise exposures encountered during basic training. The attenuation achieved by those methods was significantly greater than the current training method.

Automated summary

The study found that training methods such as experiential HPD and integrated methods resulted in better HPD fitting skills and earplug attenuation compared to the current training method, with a higher pass rate achieved.