Protecting Your Team: How to Navigate the HSE's Workplace Noise Intervention with Confidence

Image source: https://careers.hse.gov.uk/professions/health-and-safety-inspectors/

From the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) :

Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety has kicked off a new workplace noise intervention – we found out more about what inspectors will be looking for.

During the first year of the HSE’s workplace noise intervention, inspectors will be targeting high noise industries and assessing duty holders’ management of hearing protection using the acronym ‘CUFF’:

C = CONDITION

Is the hearing protection in good order and well maintained?

U = USE

Are the employees using the hearing protection when needed?

F = FIT THE EAR

Have the employees fitted their hearing protection properly?

F = FIT FOR PURPOSE

Is the hearing protection correctly specified? Is it over attenuating and causing a safety risk or under attenuating and exposing workers to noise?

'Hearing protection will be the focus in the first instance as it is used across a broad range of industries and creates significant management challenges,' Dr Rachel van Besouw, a specialist inspector in noise and vibration at the HSE, told IOSH magazine.

'As the workplace noise intervention progresses the focus will shift from individual protection to collective technical and organisational protective measures that eliminate or reduce exposure to noise in the workplace,' she added.

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How Eave can support you during the HSE’s new Workplace Noise Intervention

The Health and Safety Executive’s Noise & Vibration Specialist Paul Delderfield‘s update on HSE‘s Workplace Noise Intervention at The Health & Safety Event, NEC Birmingham.

The Eave system offers a comprehensive solution for safeguarding your team and navigating the HSE's Workplace Noise Intervention with confidence. At its core, the Eave solution features the FocusLite smart ear defenders, which not only provide essential hearing protection but also offer situational awareness. These ear defenders are equipped to collect crucial noise and hearing protection use data, enabling near real-time insights and analysis through the Peak online platform.

Let's break down how the Eave solution can specifically support duty holders during the HSE’s new Workplace Noise Intervention starting with the specifics of CUFF:

Condition: the complete Eave solution can ensure that your team's hearing protection is in optimal condition with reminders to use hygiene kits for ear cushion replacements every 6-12 months, and prompts to inspect the ear defenders, ear cushions and connectors if there's a decline in Personal Attenuation Rate or an increase in personal noise dose level as shown on Peak. Additionally, you are able to ensure that helmet clips and c-clips are securely attached, along with the usage of the USB grit cover on the charging port to ensure good condition. With its modular and easy to maintain design, the FocusLite hearing protection can be kept in optimal condition for multiple years, even when used in harsh industrial environments, ensuring the effectiveness of the hearing protection you have provided to your team. Each registered FocusLite comes with a 12 month warranty and the highest standards of customer support to ensure the condition of the hearing protection remains optimal, ensuring the necessary protection is provided throughout the product lifetime.

Use: The complete Eave solution ensures that the FocusLite hearing protection are consistently utilised during shifts. Monitoring Peak overexposures and unprotected events, you can track trends to ensure that your team's exposure to noise is minimised. By aligning hearing protection usage with shift patterns and maintaining a trend towards a 100% wear rate as tracked on Peak, Eave can help you to ensure that your team is adequately protected at all times.

Fit The Ear: Proper fitting of ear defenders is crucial for effective protection. Eave provides training on how to wear the ear muff correctly and guides users to adjust the bracket so that the cups properly cover the ears. By monitoring Peak personal dose levels and ensuring they remain below 100%, Eave can help you to ensure that the hearing of every member of your team is safeguarded.

Fit For Purpose: Eave goes beyond basic protection by enabling level-dependent HearThrough via theFocusLite. This technology allows users to maintain situational awareness while still benefiting from hearing protection. By ensuring that Peak personal dose levels remain below 100%, Eave can help you to ensure that the hearing protection is not just worn but also optimised for maximum effectiveness. This means that you will be able to ensure that your team are neither under nor over-protected (receiving excessive attenuation/over-attenuated). The level-dependent Focuslite hearing protection ensures the right level of protection is being provided even when the environment noise level fluctuates over time.

Eave can empower duty holders and site managers with the tools and insights needed to proactively address the CUFF expectations of the HSE's Workplace Noise Intervention requirements. By seamlessly integrating hearing protection with data collection and analysis, Eave streamlines compliance efforts, helping you to ensure the safety and well-being of your team when in noise.

But it doesn’t end there. The HSE inspections will go beyond CUFF as outlined below. Eave is ready to support you in addressing these additional crucial aspects.

What the Inspections Will Look Like: The inspections under HSE's Workplace Noise Intervention will scrutinise various facets of noise management in the workplace. From the adequacy of hearing protection to the implementation of control measures, inspectors will conduct thorough assessments to ensure compliance with regulations and standards.

Training on the use of hearing protection: One key area of focus will be whether adequate training on the proper fitting of hearing protection has been provided to workers. Eave can support this by offering training modules and guidance on how to correctly wear and adjust ear defenders for optimal protection.

Maintaining Wear Rates: Inspectors will also examine whether wear rates of hearing protection are being maintained at acceptable levels. Eave's data collection capabilities can track usage patterns, alerting managers if there are deviations from recommended wear rates, thereby facilitating proactive intervention.

Correct Specification of Hearing Protection: Concerns regarding over or under protection/attenuation will be addressed during inspections. Eave's technology ensures that the hearing protection provided is correctly specified for the noise levels encountered in specific work environments, mitigating the risk of either over-protection/attenuation leading to communication issues or under-protection causing exposure to harmful noise levels.

Maintenance of Hearing Protection: Regular maintenance of hearing protection is crucial for ensuring its effectiveness. Eave can assist in this aspect by providing reminders for maintenance tasks such as cleaning and replacing components, thereby prolonging the lifespan of protective equipment and maintaining compliance with regulations.

Recommended Controls: Inspectors will assess whether appropriate control measures are in place to minimise noise exposure. Eave can help by offering insights into the effectiveness of existing controls and recommending additional measures based on near real-time noise data collected from the workplace.

Buy Quiet Scheme: The implementation of a Buy Quiet scheme, which prioritises the procurement of quieter equipment and machinery, will be evaluated. Eave can support duty holders in implementing and monitoring such schemes, ensuring that noise levels are minimised at the source.

Control Action List: Duty holders will be expected to have a comprehensive control action list in place to address identified noise hazards. Eave can assist in developing and managing this list, ensuring that all necessary actions are documented and tracked for implementation.

CUFF Approach: As detailed above, the CUFF approach, focusing on Condition, Use, Fit the Ear, and Fit for Purpose of hearing protection, will guide inspectors' assessments. Eave aligns with this approach by providing tools and insights to ensure that each aspect is addressed effectively, thus demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements.

Noise report quality: The HSE will also be collecting and assessing third party workplace noise survey reports for the quality of the advice provided.

HSE's Objective: It's essential to note that the HSE's objective is not to catch duty holders out but rather to promote awareness and adherence to regulations. Eave can support you with this objective by empowering duty holders with the tools and information needed to proactively manage noise risks in the workplace, fostering a culture of safety and compliance.

As the HSE's Workplace Noise Intervention unfolds, ensuring the safety and well-being of your team amidst heightened scrutiny is paramount. The team at Eave stands ready to support duty holders and site managers through this process. Our comprehensive solution offers not just hearing protection but a proactive approach to compliance. By addressing the CUFF expectations and beyond, Eave empowers you with tools and insights to navigate inspections with confidence. Together, we can foster a culture of safety, compliance, and proactive risk management in the face of evolving regulatory requirements.

Contact us today to learn more about how Eave can safeguard your team during the HSE's Workplace Noise Intervention.

HEARING PROTECTION FOR RAILWAY WORKERS

Are passive ear defenders enough?

Tens of thousands of British Rail workers use passive ear defenders every day whilst working in noise. But, passive ear defenders have been shown to inadequately protect workers from noise in the workplace. In fact, they are known to increase the risk of injury and death through accidents on the tracks. Not only that but they can even lead to an increase in the number of rail workers who lose their hearing through noise exposure as the protection is unknowingly not worn correctly.

Should they be banned?

In modern Britain, this is not acceptable. Today, there should be a ban on the use of these dangerous, passive ear defenders. Rail workers need a change in the equipment they are provided, moving from passive to level-dependant hearing protection. These allow rail workers to hear what’s going on around them, whilst still protecting their hearing. Further, without integrated fit-testing it is not feasible to know if the protection is being worn correctly, or at all throughout a shift

You may be aware of the recent tragic case of two railway workers who were killed by a train whilst working on a track on the Port Talbot line. It is believed that these two men could not hear the train approaching because they were wearing passive ear defenders that blocked out sound. 

British rail workers should not have to choose between losing their hearing and losing their lives. Technological advances have provided alternatives to these dangerous passive ear defenders, which means they no longer need to make that choice.

Occupational deafness is preventable

This is the most commonly-reported workplace disease, yet it is entirely preventable. In British workplaces, noise is known to be the single largest contributor to deafness.

My own grandmother made equipment in the tunnels of the London Underground network during World War II. She lost her hearing because of this vital work, and for all the time I knew her she was frustrated by the two hearing aids she had to wear. Her hearing loss isolated her from those around her, especially when she was in situations where there was background noise, like a family get-together. This was tremendously sad. It isolated her and ultimately led to a diagnosis of dementia - the worst of it being that it could have been prevented had she been provided with the equipment that Eave now supplies to thousands of people across the UK who work in noise.

What can we do about it?

By working together and banning the use of passive hearing protection we can prevent the devastating impact of tinnitus and hearing loss on other British workers, especially rail workers who are particularly susceptible to the risks of noise exposure and reduced situational awareness.

COSTAIN SELECTS EAVE AS NEXT-GEN HEARING PROTECTION PARTNER FOR RDP NORTH PROJECTS

Hearing protection project

Partnership kicks off with pilot for operatives working on scheme to widen the A1 between Scotswood and North Brunton

The Partnership

Smart infrastructure solutions company Costain has partnered with Eave to provide next-generation hearing protection to its operatives working on the enlargement of the A1 between Scotswood and North Brunton. The project is part of a package of highways development schemes awarded to Costain by Highways England under its Regional Delivery Partnership (RDP) contract model. The package awarded to Costain forms part of the ‘RDP North’ and also includes projects to develop the A1 between Birtley and Coalhouse and the A1 in Northumberland. Following a pilot at the Scotswood to North Brunton works, Costain plans to roll-out Eave’s hearing protection system across its three RDP North sites. 

The project

The A1 Scotswood to North Brunton scheme covers Junctions 74 to 79 of the A1 Newcastle Gateshead Western Bypass, an 8.5km stretch of road which currently operates as a dual two-lane carriageway with lane gain/drop sections. Costain has been tasked with constructing an extra running lane on each carriageway and removing the gain/drop transitions between junctions 74 and 77. The nature of the project means that work sites are linear; Costain operatives are currently working at night and progressing from north to south at a rapid pace, often completing 80-100m of central reservation upgrades and 800-900m of resurfacing per shift. 

The hearing protection solution

Eave’s hearing protection system is ideal for protecting operatives undertaking highways work, and perfectly suited to Costain’s work on the A1, where ambient noise levels are high, worksites are constantly moving and potential hazards are shifting all the time. Eave’s system consists of smart ear defenders, which continuously collect data on environmental noise and the wearer’s exposure to noise, beacons which work with the ear defenders to map worksite noise, and an online platform for viewing the data and gathering insights.

Costain will use these insights to protect and educate over-exposed workers, adjust working methods, and remove noise hazards at source. Eave’s FocusLite ear defenders also promote situational awareness by allowing essential sounds to reach the wearer’s ears, even as harmful noise is blocked; this capability is absolutely critical to the safety of highways workers, who face the ever-present risk of incursions from passing traffic. 

Raising the bar for health and safety

Costain’s decision to use Eave hearing protection reflects its commitment to Highways England’s ‘raising the bar’ health and safety initiative – and its corporate mission to “improve people’s lives by deploying integrated smart solutions to meet urgent infrastructure needs”. 

Mal Shiels, Framework SHE Manager at Costain, commented: “We will always do everything we can to maintain the health and safety of our most valuable asset – the people working on our sites. The data we get from Eave is invaluable, because it allows us to identify where and why operatives are being exposed to harmful noise, and design effective interventions to stop dangerous situations from recurring. The Eave system is going to transform hearing protection at Costain, but even if our partnership prevents just one person from having a deterioration in their hearing, it will have been a success.”

David Greenberg, CEO of Eave, commented: “After decades of failure, it is clear that traditional hearing protection devices like ear plugs and passive ear defenders will never be an effective solution to the scourge of occupational deafness in the construction industry. If contractors want to effectively protect their workers from noise-induced hearing loss they need a system that protects and monitors at the same time. Eave’s system offers best-in-class hearing protection while automatically and continuously gathering data on site noise, worker exposure and headset effectiveness – and delivering a host of other benefits like improved situational awareness into the bargain. That’s why we’re seeing strong demand from contractors like Costain, who are genuinely committed to preserving the welfare of their workforce and want to stamp out occupational deafness in the construction sector for good.” 

VINCI LINES UP EAVE AS HEARING PROTECTION PARTNER

UK-based tech startup selected for VINCI Group Catalyst programme; gains preferential access to VINCI executives

5 JANUARY 2021 – LONDON: Eave, a UK-based tech startup which has developed a uniquely effective hearing protection system for construction workers, has partnered with VINCI through the Group’s prestigious Catalyst programme. Eave is one of just ten ‘cutting edge ventures’ selected for Catalyst, which is only open to mature innovative companies already in a position to start rolling out their products and services. 

Catalyst is run by Leonard, VINCI’s foresight and innovation arm – Leonard exists to provide VINCI partner companies with the support and resources they need to deploy their services and products within the Group’s business units. Crucially, Eave’s enrolment in the Catalyst programme gives it preferential access to VINCI executives and means it is now the Group’s preferred next-generation hearing protection partner. 

Eave’s partnership with Vinci comes at a time when an increasing number of companies are recognising that traditional hearing protection devices like ear plugs and passive ear defenders will never be an effective solution to the scourge of occupational deafness in the construction industry. 

Eave’s solution to the problem is a hearing protection system comprised of smart ear defenders, which promote situational awareness while gathering real-time data on environmental noise and the wearer’s exposure to noise, and an online platform (‘Peak’) for analysing the data and gathering insights. Eave’s customers use these insights to protect over-exposed workers, adjust working methods, and remove noise hazards at source. 

Eave is already working with the likes of Galliford Try, Costain, Skanska, Ferrovial, VolkerLaser and BAM Nuttall in the UK. Eave’s partnership with VINCI is the first step in the business’s ambitious European expansion plan for 2021.  

Louis Cottin, Catalyst Program Manager, commented: “Prevention and safety are major priorities for the VINCI Group. Eave provides an innovative solution for the acoustic protection of workers and the mapping of worksite noise. The jury for the new CATALYST cohort was won over by the quality of the innovation, the maturity of the solution ahead of its market and the possibility of rapid deployment within the VINCI Group.”

David Greenberg, CEO of Eave, commented: “According to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, 28 per cent of the European workforce is exposed to a high level of workplace noise – and noise-induced hearing loss is the most commonly reported occupational disease in Europe. Unless businesses that require workers to operate in hazardous noise change their approach and move away from passive hearing protection products, the human cost of workplace noise will remain unacceptably high. We’re delighted that VINCI has signalled its intent to raise the standard of hearing protection across its business units by bringing Eave into its Catalyst programme, and we look forward to starting our first pilot projects with VINCI in the near future.”

EAVE RAISES £2M TO IMPROVE NOISE PROTECTION STANDARD FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

Noise management tech startup secures Series A investment from Pembroke VCT 

27 OCTOBER 2020 – LONDON: Eave, a UK-based tech startup which has developed a unique hearing protection system for construction workers, has secured a £2m investment from Pembroke VCT. Eave is already supplying many of the biggest construction companies in the UK—including Galliford Try Highways, Costain-Skanska Joint Venture, Ferrovial, VolkerLaser, Skanska-Costain-Strabag, and BAM Nuttall—and plans to use Pembroke’s investment to accelerate its growth and international expansion through 2021. 

Eave’s unique hearing protection system comprises its FocusLite smart ear defenders and Peak, a cloud-based risk monitoring and prevention platform. Eave customers equip their workforces with FocusLite headsets, which gather real-time data on construction site noise as well as the wearer’s exposure rate, and feed it through to Peak, where the data is analysed by health and safety professionals and work-site managers, who use it to manage or eliminate noise-related risks.    

Unlike traditional hearing protection solutions like earplugs and passive ear defenders, Eave’s FocusLite headsets contain unrivalled hear-through technology—which means wearers retain full situational awareness and the ability to communicate—whilst being protected from harmful sources of noise. And unlike other ear defenders with active hearing protection, Eave’s FocusLite headsets are part of a powerful 360° system – they are closely integrated with Peak, allowing managers to do things like monitor hearing protection wear rates and take meaningful actions where headsets aren’t correctly fitted or being worn at all.

Eave was founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr David Greenberg, in 2015, and received early-stage funding from FORWARD.one and private investors.

Eave’s long-term mission is to eliminate the isolation and loneliness caused by hearing loss, and the scourge of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in the construction industry made it a natural starting point for the business. Under Greenberg’s leadership Eave is an extremely mission-driven company – it has made significant investments in educating construction professionals on the dangers of harmful noise exposure, and in convincing industry leaders to raise noise protection standards across all their projects.

As a result, Costain-Skanska Joint Venture and Galliford Try Highways have already mandated active hearing protection with integrated noise monitoring on all of their sites, with other industry giants set to follow their lead in 2021.

Dr David Greenberg, Founder and CEO of Eave, commented: “Noise-induced hearing loss is a huge problem – it’s the number one occupational disease in Europe and accounts for about a third of all work-related disease. It’s also extremely prevalent amongst construction workers. Our partnership with Pembroke VCT is incredibly exciting – because it will allow us to double down on our strategy of getting construction businesses to mandate active hearing protection with integrated noise monitoring across all their sites – and get us that bit closer to achieving our long-term goal of totally eliminating the loneliness and isolation caused by hearing loss.”

OCCUPATIONAL DEAFNESS: THE SILENT EPIDEMIC

New online Evidence Hub launched for Noise Induced Hearing Loss

Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is the number one occupational disease in Europe, yet the world is largely silent on the issue. Today a new online Evidence Hub has been launched that pulls together data on the issue to support the case for a new approach to hearing protection in the workplace.

Smart tech company, Eave, who are raising industry standards in hearing protection, are providing an online resource that helps employers to properly protect workers on site from hazardous noise.

Over 46 million people in Europe work in harmful levels of noise, 2 million of which are in the UK. Regulation measures are woefully inadequate in today’s digital world, and there is now a wealth of evidence to support the need to improve noise regulation in the workplace.

Eave’s Evidence Hub is an online library of resources, academic articles and data that explain the issue of Occupational Deafness and why companies need to change their approach to noise to prevent this silent epidemic.

Dr. David Greenberg, clinical research audiologist and founder of Eave, has curated this library of evidence as part of his mission to eliminate the isolation and loneliness caused by noise induced hearing loss. He has identified four key areas of evidence:

1.EXPOSURE RATES – Noise exposure is the single largest contributor to deafness.

2.INSURANCE CLAIMS – £360 million was spent by insurance companies on Occupational Deafness claims in one year.

3.OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE – Occupational Deafness is the most commonly reported occupational disease in the EU.

4.LOUD ENVIRONMENTS – Noise regulations dictate that loud environments require control at source by employers.

“Dr. Greenberg explains: “Having worked as an NHS Clinical Audiologist and as a Research Audiologist, I have seen first-hand the profound impact hearing loss can have on a person’s life. Many people face unnecessary risks to their health from being exposed to noise at work, which is entirely avoidable if the right hearing protection is worn. At Eave we are proud to have created the technology to prevent occupational deafness. This innovation is founded on evidence I have spent years researching. I hope that in sharing it widely, we can all work together to eliminate Occupational Deafness in the future.”

Eave’s hearing conservation solution has built noise monitoring into active ear defenders. These smart ear defenders, which are an essential part of workplace PPE, use best in class ‘Hear-Through’ technology that allow the wearer to continue to hear environmental sound, vastly improving the safety of workers. Eave’s noise management software platform maps noise exposure, analysing data in real time to provide information about each worker’s noise exposure across a site.

About Eave

Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating and often debilitating impact of deafness.

CONSTRUCTION FIRM RAISES HEARING PROTECTION BENCHMARK

CSjv mandates active hearing protection with integrated noise monitoring across HS2 sites

Costain-Skanska joint venture (CSjv) is spearheading industry change with a new hearing protection policy across all of its HS2 enabling works construction sites.

Following an incredible journey with smart tech company Eave, whose innovative hearing conservation solution provides real time noise monitoring on site, CSjv is now mandating this active hearing protection with integrated noise monitoring from1st September 2020 across its HS2 sites.

The two were brought together to trial new developments in Eave’s technology as part of the HS2 Innovation programme.

A mandate like this sets a new standard for the construction industry’s approach to noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), which is the most commonly reported occupational disease in Europe.

“CSjv aims to support HS2’s mission to eliminate the causes of the top five occupational diseases in construction. Our trial with Eave gave measurable results that radically improved our hearing protection measures on site. We are now implementing this change across all our HS2 sites to ensure a greater level of safety for our operatives. We are immensely proud to bring new innovation to the industry, spearheading major change in health and safety PPE.” explains Sandra Winters, Occupational Health Lead.

Eave’s active ear defenders use best in class ‘Hear-Through’ technology, that, unlike passive protection, allow the wearer to continue to hear environmental sound, vastly improving the safety of workers. These smart headsets also monitor and map noise exposure, analysing the data in real time to provide information about each worker’s noise exposure across a site. It is this combination of active hearing protection andintegrated noise monitoring that CSjv is mandating on all its HS2 early works sites to raise standards across the sector.

The journey began in 2019, when Eave and CSjv won Innovate UK funding from the Department of Transport to trial their hearing conservation solution with HS2. The project reflected HS2’s desire to build a lasting legacy that transforms industry.

“With this mandate now in place we witness a transformation in the construction sector that innovation projects like this were intended to generate. It’s exciting to see such a success story that will genuinely impact lives, raise industry standards and ultimately protect the hearing of our workers,” saidHS2 Innovation Manager Rob Cairns.

Dr. David Greenberg, Eave CEO, said: “It has been a great pleasure to work with CSjv, Innovate UK and HS2 to showcase how innovative smart tech solutions can do so much more than conventional hearing protection to manage noise on site. Their support has been fundamental in the development of our products, testing our active ear defenders and noise monitoring equipment. We are now working with all CSjv subcontractors to ensure they are ready for the 1 September deadline, working together to protect the hearing of workers in hazardous noise.”

Read more about the benefits of active hearing protection versus passive hearing protection in a blog from Dr. David Greenberg here.

Watch CSjv and Eave’s journey with HS2 here.

About Eave

Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating and often debilitating impact of deafness.

GALLIFORD TRY HIGHWAYS ADOPTS ACTIVE HEARING PROTECTION MANDATE

Galliford Try’s Highways business has implemented a new mandate requiring all of its sites to adopt Active Hearing Protection from July.

The measure will become part of the business’s standard PPE requirements to try and clamp down on noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), which is the most commonly reported occupational disease in Europe.

Highways has adopted smart tech company Eave’s Active Ear Defenders, which use a best-in-class ‘hear through’ technology. Unlike standard passive ear defenders, the Eave solution allows the wearer to continue to hear environmental sound, vastly improving the safety of workers.

The unique highways work setting makes it more imperative for operatives to be constantly aware of ambient noise, while also protecting themselves.

These smart headsets also monitor and map noise exposure, displaying it via a cloud-based software platform, allowing the business to analyse in real time each worker’s noise exposure across a site.

Mark Bridges, Health and Safety Manager for Galliford Try Highways, explained: “We have a duty to provide our workers with the best possible protection against hazards. What we’re trying to do is create a movement for change in the industry.”

“A lot of the team on site really appreciate putting their hearing protection on and still being able to hear their environment. When you ally this with the ability to constantly monitor their exposure, the benefits of Eave’s approach are really apparent.”

David Greenberg, Eave CEO, said: “We’ve been working with Galliford Try’s highways suppliers to ensure they are ready for the 1 July, with the correct protection in place for workers.  It’s been inspiring to work with Mark as we share a similar passion to go beyond the bare minimum to protect the hearing of workers in hazardous noise.

“In today’s digital world when the technology available can do so much more to properly protect workers, we need to take action.”

Read more about the benefits of active hearing protection with integrated noise monitoring in a blog from Dr Greenberg here.

About Eave

Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating and often debilitating impact of deafness.

HS2 PARTNERS WITH EAVE ON A NEW APPROACH TO PREVENTING OCCUPATIONAL DEAFNESS

HS2 and CSjv, its Euston early works contractor, have teamed up with cutting edge smart tech company Eave to take major steps towards eliminating work-related hearing damage.

The initiative is part of HS2’s innovation programme that seeks to nurture new and evolving technologies through involvement in the delivery of Britain’s largest ever infrastructure project. 

Smart ear defender manufacturer, Eave used HS2’s London construction sites as a testbed to perfect the latest version of its hearing protection technology.

Eave’s solution uses a digitally-enabled headset that both protects hearing and gathers noise data. The data is transferred to unique noise mapping software and analysed to produce accurate information about every worker’s noise exposure across the worksite.

The smart technology both locates and measures noise to enable a targeted approach to protect every person’s hearing across a construction site.

Eave headsets are designed with revolutionary ‘hear-through’ technology that eliminates the need for a site worker to remove them in order to hear sound around them or talk to colleagues, and so vastly improving their safety, productivity and long term wellbeing.

Eave CEO and founder Dr David Greenberg, said:

“Damage to hearing from noise exposure at work is permanent and debilitating, but it is also preventable. Our partnership with HS2 is important to demonstrate the health, social and commercial benefits of Eave’s solution. As awareness of the harmful effects of noise exposure increases so the technology we’ve been developing with the HS2 project will help both site workers and their businesses to manage noise in a way that is targeted, efficient and safe.”

HS2 innovation manager Rob Cairns, who brought together Dr Greenberg’s technological innovation and Britain’s largest ever construction project said:

“Sixty-eight per cent of all claims against employers are for occupational deafness, which underlines the importance of Eave’s innovation for improving employee health in the sector.

“As the largest infrastructure project in British history, employing tens of thousands of people and stretching across the 2020s and 2030s we can use HS2’s scale to introduce improvements to working conditions and employee wellbeing that permanently changes the industry for good.”

About the innovation project

HS2 has an innovation programme to drive improvements from which it and the wider industry can benefit.  As part of this programme HS2 has partnered with a London-based SME called Eave to develop their cutting-edge hearing protection technology for people working in the construction industry.

HS2 and CSjv decided to partner with Eave and become its test bed for the development of Eave’s technology because we can see the potential benefits of the technology. Eave trialled its technology across multiple HS2 sites including the Euston building sites.

About Eave

Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of occupational deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave’s mission is to eliminate the isolation and loneliness caused by occupational hearing loss..

Eave’s founder, Dr David Greenberg partnered with HS2 and CSjv to use the construction sites on Britain’s largest infrastructure project as testbeds to perfect the implementation and adoption of the technology within the rail and construction sector. The invention not only protects the wearer’s hearing while enabling them to hear what’s going on around them but also monitors and maps their exposure to site noise throughout the day. 

What is the impact of hearing damage in the workplace?

Dept Work & Pension stats for 2015-16 (the latest available) show that of the top 10 occupational diseases by employer liability insurance claims (24,114), occupational deafness made up 68% of all claims.

Heath & Safety Executive 2014 figures show that £360m was spent on hearing damage claims in the UK.  

The science

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most common occupational disease in Europe, accounting for about one third of all work-related diseases, according to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

More than two million people in are UK exposed to unacceptable noise levels at work.

Hearing damage is irreparable, so prevention is the best approach. Traditionally ear plugs and passive defenders have been used by construction industry workers. These are to one’s hearing what blindfolds are to our sight. Reducing one’s ability to hear for protective reasons on potentially dangerous worksite carries risks itself.

SMART TECH IS CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF CONSTRUCTION

The rise of smart technology is changing the reputation of construction, as the sector embraces innovative solutions to some of its more traditional challenges. Health and safety are obvious concerns across all of the UK’s industries, but it’s of particular importance within construction as the rate of fatal injury is around four times as high as the average rate across all industries.

Smart technology company, Eave, has developed a unique hearing conservation system to protect against hazardous noise and the solution is spreading rapidly across the construction industry, with recent subscribers to the technology including Galliford Try, Ferrovial and Costain Skanska. 

The investment in innovation by the construction industry is beginning to be recognised beyond the sector, with Eave CEO and founder, Dr David Greenberg, being awarded this year’s prestigious MIT Technology Review ‘Innovators Under 35’ accolade for Eave’s work with the construction sector.

The ‘MIT Innovators Under 35’ list celebrates outstanding innovators who are younger than 35 years of age, whose ingenious technical work promises to shape the coming decades and impacts the world at large. Dr David Greenberg, a former NHS audiologist with a PhD in auditory neuroscience whose clinical practise left him appalled at the state of the UK’s hearing health, has been selected as one of 35 pioneers to receive the European award.

Dr Greenberg focussed his attention on the construction industry because it is a high risk area for noise exposure: “All aspects of construction, including demolition, building, refurbishment and roadworks, present risks beyond most other industry workplaces. Whilst no workplace has zero risk, there is an obvious and major difference between the risks presented at a construction worker’s place of work and more conventional office based places of work. One of the key risks relates to noise exposure – employers have a legal duty to protect the hearing of operatives under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, yet it remains an ongoing challenge as noise induced hearing loss is still the most commonly reported occupational disease in the EU.”

Convinced that something more needed to be done to prevent noise exposure at work, Dr Greenberg developed the Eave solution: a digital headset that monitors and maps noise exposure, displaying it via a cloud based software platform. The data is automatically analysed to produce accurate information about each worker’s noise exposure across a workplace or site. The use of smart technology to accurately measure and pinpoint noise on a construction site is game-changing, meaning employers have transparency when it comes to addressing health risks on site.

Eave headsets also use revolutionary ‘hear through’ technology, allowing wearers to continue to hear environmental sound, vastly improving the safety of workers. The Innovators Under 35 panel of judges praised the high level of innovation in the technology’s ability to “reduce loud background noise while improving conversations, allowing easy communication without overriding important audible signals such as alarms or sirens.”

“I am delighted to receive this award and to be part of a growing culture of innovation within the construction industry. These are exciting times for the sector and I believe we will see IoT technology bring about a much needed revolution in the UK’s health and safety culture,” said Dr Greenberg.

Sources:

• https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/pdf/fatalinjuries.pdf

• https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/factsheet-57-impact-noise-work

SMART TECH COMPANY SEEKS HEARING TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE IN NEW BOARD APPOINTMENT

Smart Technology company, Eave, which has developed a unique hearing conservation system for use in noisy workplaces such as the construction industry, has appointed a new board member from the world of hearing technology.

Paul Surridge, currently Chairman of BIHIMA (the British and Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association), has been brought in as a non-executive director to help deliver greater brand awareness of their innovative product which seeks to address the problem of noise; the leading cause of hearing loss.

Eave’s hearing protection solution has been pioneered by a former NHS audiologist, Dr David Greenberg, with a PhD in auditory neuroscience focussing on the impact of noise on hearing and communication. His clinical practise and research left him appalled at the state of the UK’s hearing health and its impact on relationships and safety at work. He became convinced that, as there is no cure for hearing loss or tinnitus, preventative action was crucial. His rapidly growing IoT (Internet of Things) company is the result of this conviction.

Eave’s solution uses a digital headset to gather noise data, which is then transferred to a unique noise mapping software platform. The data is displayed and analysed to produce accurate information about every worker’s noise exposure across a workplace or site. The use of smart technology to accurately measure and pinpoint noise is game-changing, meaning employers can have a targeted approach to each employee’s hearing health.

Eave headsets also use revolutionary ‘hear through’ technology, allowing wearers to continue to hear environmental sound, vastly improving the safety of workers. So-called ‘passive’ ear defenders, which do not allow any sound through to the ear, are dangerous as they can lead to accidents when workers fail to hear warning alarms or instructions. Research shows that they are also not effective as hearing protection as workers regularly remove them in order to hear, exposing themselves to dangerous noise levels.

The new non-exec director, Paul Surridge, shares Dr Greenberg’s commitment to improving the nation’s hearing health, and has significant experience promoting the hearing loss awareness agenda with government, academia, charities and public bodies.

“This is an exciting opportunity to work with David on revolutionary products, using cutting edge Internet of Things technology which, I truly believe, could stop this epidemic in our country of noise induced hearing loss. It is a privilege to be part of such an important mission,” said Paul Surridge.

“We are delighted to welcome Paul to the board. He recognises that we are at the forefront of a movement which will transform how people hear at work and will change the trajectory of thousands of lives that might otherwise be devastated by occupational hearing loss,” said Dr David Greenberg, Eave CEO and founder.

CONSTRUCTION FIRM JOINS FORCES WITH SMART TECH COMPANY TO SET A NEW BENCHMARK FOR HEARING PROTECTION

One of the UK’s major construction companies, Galliford Try, aims to set a new industry standard by investing in a new hearing protection solution produced by Smart Technology company Eave, in a major effort to prevent occupational deafness.

Occupational deafness is the most common workplace disease, and, of the nine million people in the UK who are deaf, exposure to noise is the leading cause. Increasing evidence shows that most hearing protection on the market is inadequate – the UK’s Health and Safety Executive reported that 40% of users supposedly wearing hearing protection are not safe because the defenders are not worn correctly or are removed in order to hear.

Galliford Try has partnered with Eave, a Smart Technology company which designs digitally connected ear defenders and noise mapping software, enabling employers to literally see the noise across their sites. Eave headsets also use ‘Hear-Through’ technology, allowing wearers to hear environmental sound whilst being protected in noisy environments, improving both safety and productivity.

Lincoln Eastern Bypass Roundabout

The use of IoT (‘Internet of Things’) technology to accurately measure and pinpoint noise is also game-changing for health and safety in the workplace, marking the end of manual checking and over-protection. Galliford Try will be able to see exactly where noise hotspots are on their sites, allowing them to efficiently eliminate the hazard at source. 

Following a successful trial of the system at the Lincoln Eastern Bypass, Galliford Try is now introducing the technology at a new site on the M1, with a long-term intention to improve hearing protection across all their sites.

“Our ambition is to use this level of hearing protection across all our projects,” said Mark Bridges, Health and Safety Manager for Galliford Try. “We want to be at the forefront of the movement towards better hearing conservation. This is such a pressing issue for the construction industry and it’s our responsibility to identify the best technology to eradicate the risk. There is enough information out there now to show that most ear defenders are not up to the job and that smart hearing conservations systems like this are the future.”

“We are delighted with the success of the Lincoln trial and that Galliford Try has now become a valued partner. Together we are committed to raising the bar for the standard of hearing protection in the UK construction industry and transforming the way noise in the workplace is managed. Our mission at Eave has always been to prevent the devastating impact of noise induced hearing loss, and with this contract we are one step closer to that goal,” said Dr David Greenberg, Eave founder and CEO.

Sources: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr720.pdf

About Eave

Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating and often debilitating impact of deafness.

SMART TECH COMPANY HONOURED FOR IOT INNOVATION AT ‘THE NOISE OSCARS’

Smart Technology company, Eave, which has developed a unique hearing conservation system using noise mapping technology and digital headsets, has won the John Connell Innovation Award recognising original thinking in reducing the negative impact of noise.

The John Connell Award, also known as ‘the Noise Oscars’, are organised by the Noise Abatement Society (NAS) with the aim of championing initiatives and advances which benefit the public by targeting unnecessary noise. The 18th award ceremony took place at the Palace of Westminster on 23 October 2019, where Eave won first prize in the Innovation category.

Eave has developed a revolutionary solution to noise in the workplace, combining Smart Technology and creative product design to tackle the problem of hearing damage in industries such as construction and rail. The award specifically recognises Eave’s work with Costain Group PLC and Skanska at the high-speed rail project, HS2.

The system uses digital ear defenders which protect workers’ hearing at the same time as gathering noise data. This information is then transferred to a unique cloud-based noise mapping software platform, called Peak, where it is displayed and analysed to produce accurate information about every worker’s noise exposure across a workplace or site, allowing employers to see what measures of proactive noise management need to be put in place.

Eave headsets also use cutting edge ‘hear through’ technology, allowing wearers to continue to hear environmental sound and communicate with colleagues without removing their ear defenders, not only providing better hearing protection but also radically improving safety in noisy workplaces.

At the heart of Eave’s innovation is its mission to prevent occupational hearing loss, the most common workplace disease despite being 100% preventable. Founded by former NHS audiologist, Dr David Greenberg, whose research focused on the impact of noise on hearing and communication, Eave is using the latest IoT (Internet of Things) technology to take a proactive approach, preventing noise induced hearing loss before it even starts.

Gloria Elliott OBE, Noise Abatement Society Chief Executive, said, “This is an extremely welcome innovation for comprehensive long term hearing protection in the workplace”.

“We are thrilled and honoured to win this award – we see it as testament to the work we do at Eave to eliminate the isolation and loneliness caused by hearing loss. Our goal is to transform the way people hear at work, tackling the dangerous noise levels which are leading to an epidemic in hearing loss. This award helps progress this vital mission and we are delighted!” said Dr David Greenberg, Eave CEO and founder.

About Eave

Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, EAVE’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating and often debilitating impact of deafness.

IOT COMPANY INVESTS IN SALES EXPERTISE

Smart Technology company, Eave, which has developed a unique hearing conservation system using noise mapping technology and digital headsets, has appointed a new Sales Director with a technology background, with the aim of driving engagement with its cutting edge Internet of Things (IoT) innovation.

The new director, Michael Gowen, has been brought in to accelerate the growth of the company, focusing on Eave’s customer-facing division. He has the bold task of communicating the benefits of a technological solution to a health and safety issue – protecting the hearing of workers in noisy environments – a problem which, historically, has only ever been physically addressed.  

Eave chiefly operates in the construction sector, but rather than appoint someone from within the industry, the board have purposefully invested in a sales director from outside who has the technological expertise to spearhead the movement towards digitisation.

He brings significant experience in the tech market, working for a variety of large corporate and SME businesses including Babble, The Arden Group and Dimension Data, giving him the skills to address Eave’s business goals whilst ensuring the company stays true to its mission to prevent the loneliness and isolation caused by hearing loss.

Eave’s technology is specifically designed with this wider mission at its heart: to prevent occupational hearing loss which is the most common workplace disease. Its solution incorporates a digital headset to gather noise data, which is then transferred to a unique noise mapping software platform, called Peak.

The data is displayed and analysed to produce accurate information about every worker’s noise exposure across a workplace or site. The use of smart technology to accurately measure and pinpoint noise is game-changing, marking an end to manual noise-level checking.

Eave headsets also use revolutionary ‘hear through’ technology, allowing wearers to still hear environmental sound, improving safety, efficiency and productivity. The data harvested shows real behaviour change, as the worker downtime caused by removing headsets, switching off machinery or moving to quiet zones is eliminated.

“I am excited to be joining Eave at such a crucial time, just as companies are waking up to the need for a digital revolution in protecting their workers’ hearing. There is huge opportunity for growth as more and more employers realise that IoT technology and digitisation are the future,” said Michael Gowen, Eave’s new Sales Director.

“We are delighted to welcome Michael as a director. He recognises that we are at the forefront of a movement which will transform how people hear at work and will change the trajectory of thousands of lives that might otherwise be devastated by occupational hearing loss,” said Dr David Greenberg, Eave CEO and founder.

About Eave

Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave ’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating and often debilitating impact of deafness.

ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF SMART EAR PROTECTION

The Eave FocusLite

• Industry-leading technology enables the FocusLite to detect and report noise levels as well as protecting against hearing damage.

• The world’s only hearing protection with built in fit-testing.

• The UK spends more than £30 bn per year on hearing loss.

Award-winning noise and hearing conservation organisation, Eave, launch the industry’s most advanced smart ear protection: the FocusLite. The only hearing protection available with built-in noise reporting technology, the FocusLite will work in conjunction with Eave’s hearing conservation platform, Peak, enabling businesses to ‘fit-test’ their working environment, reducing hearing loss for employees and avoiding industrial negligence allegations.

Every year the UK spends hundreds of millions of pounds on occupational deafness insurance claims. Protection is available, but is often abandoned due to its limitations as colleagues struggle to communicate. And in some cases, businesses just aren’t aware of the extent of the noise on their premises – Illegal, inexcusable, but also, perhaps understandable. Eave’s FocusLite has been designed to answer all of these problems.

How the FocusLite is Different

While providing high quality hearing protection, the FocusLite does something more. The FocusLite can record noise levels in the workplace. With microphones built in to the ear guards, the FocusLite digitises the sound levels and automatically reports back using Eave’s award-winning hearing conservation platform, Peak. This allows business managers to understand where on their premises harmful noise levels may be an issue and take steps to reduce noise or provide protective equipment for additional departments and team members.

At the same time, the FocusLite employs industry-leading ‘hear-through’ technology. This removes the isolation of passive ear defenders and filters through sound at a safe level, allowing users to communicate comfortably and clearly while maintaining environmental awareness.

‘We are really excited about the FocusLite. It’s the second Peak-compatible product we’ve released, and we think that it could be a real game-changer. Not just for businesses, but for individuals worried about regular exposure to high levels of noise.

‘We often undervalue our hearing – until we begin to lose it. Then we realise just how integral it is to life. Not just in terms of convenience, but in terms of community and belonging. Not being able to hear is incredibly isolating. People joke about deafness, but it’s really no laughing matter.

‘Hearing loss costs the UK over £30 billion per year. Much of that hearing loss is preventable. Our aim at Eave is to stop preventable deafness.’

Eave founder and CEO, Dr. David Greenberg.

The Launch

The FocusLite launch was last week with leading industry speakers, the perfect opportunity to get ears-on experience of this cutting-edge new smart ear protection – photos of the event can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eohcw47fjff1unw/AACndvqn6MS6QTgNqprA6vRea?dl=0

About Eave

Eave is an organisation created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating – and sometimes debilitating – impact of deafness.