Cost Effectiveness of Hearing Conservation Programs
Abstract
In 1999, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported $29 1,622,148 for 56,792 veterans receiving hearing loss as a major disability. Civilian hearing loss compensation in that year was $35,346,392 for 6,406 Federal employees. The medical community has often qualified such data, noting that these monetary outlays do not reflect the more important factors of decreased job performance and loss in the quality of life. The reality of decreasing workforces and decreasing budgets have forced us, though, to market hearing conservation programs on the basis of economic benefits. Medical outcomes, spanning 20-years of rigorous program implementation, have been translated into over $500 million of projected training cost savings. Comparisons among the services have also been used to demonstrate cost avoidance for civilian hearing loss and VA disability. Explanations for differences among the services are presented. For example, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has made what they are calling a paradigm shift in their program focus from the agent (noise hazard) to preventing hearing loss. The Army Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene leadership made this shift over 29 years ago.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADP010345
Entities
People
- Doug Ohlin
Organizations
- United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine