SMITHFIELD, RHODE ISLAND, USA, June 21 2010 – The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) has awarded its Product Innovation Award to VeriPRO®, the earplug fit testing system from Howard Leight®. The award, which is designed to recognize excellence and innovation within the safety industry, was presented at the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards Gala Dinner held during Safety and Health Expo 2010.
VeriPRO makes it easy to determine the Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR) of a worker fitted with any earplugs through a simple listening test.
This allows both safety managers and workers to ascertain if the worker receives optimal protection from noise with their earplugs, requires additional training, or needs to try a different model.
“Hearing conservation is an area that we are passionate about,” said Josephine Audoin, Marketing Manager for Sperian Protection UK. “We are delighted that the genuine innovation demonstrated by VeriPRO has been recognized by the British safety community.”
A report recently issued by the UK Health and Safety Executive, entitled “Real World Use and Performance of Hearing Protection,” gave a positive indication about the availability of appropriate Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs) in the UK. However, it also reported that “possibly
only 60% of workers supposedly using hearing protection are in fact protected.” One of the major reasons for this (and this applies particularly to ear plugs) is that the HPD is incorrectly fitted. Another concern for employers is the weakness of the published attenuation ratings system in regards to the specification of earplugs. The published attenuation ratings system only provides a theoretical level of hearing protection as opposed to an actual measurement of protection.
To help combat these issues, Howard Leight developed VeriPRO. VeriPRO benefits those that manage safety and employees alike. For the safety
professional, occupational health manager or site manager it fulfils European Directive 2003/10/EC requirements for training. For employees, VeriPRO demonstrates the importance of hearing protection in the workplace, and helps employees select and compare protectors to find the best choice for their ears and specific applications.
Unlike other field verification systems, VeriPRO can be used with any earplug, and the tests performed in virtually any setting. VeriPRO offers two test protocols. The Complete Check runs employees through five frequencies to determine PAR and is recommended for annual use. The Quick Check is a simplified test of earplug fit at one frequency, used as a fast and easy pass/fail check for more frequent use.
The VeriPRO system consists of PC-based software, an audiometrically optimized headset, audio processor, QuickStart guide and USB cable.
For more information about VeriPRO, visit http://www.howardleight.com/veripro/?locale=us.
About Howard Leight
Howard Leight/Sperian Hearing Protection, LLC is a leading global provider of passive and intelligent hearing protection solutions, and the founder of the HearForever™ initiative. For over 30 years, Howard Leight has pursued the prevention of occupational noise-induced hearing loss through innovation in hearing protection design, technology, performance and comfort, and the promotion of progressive Hearing Conservation Programs. Leading solutions include the highest attenuating Max® single-use earplug; patented Air Flow Control™ technology for optimal earmuff attenuation; QuietDose™ personal in-ear dosimetry; and the industry-changing VeriPRO® earplug fit testing s
ystem. Visit: http://www.howardleight.com.
Visit the Howard Leight website at http://www.howardleight.com. Follow us on Twitter (@HowardLeight) at http://twitter.com/HowardLeight.
About Sperian Protection
With nearly 6,000 employees worldwide, Sperian Protection is resolutely geared towards international markets. The world leader in personal protective equipment (hearing, eye, respiratory and fall protection, gloves, clothing and footwear), the Group offers innovative products
adapted to high-risk environments so that all workers in the manufacturing and services industries can work with confidence. Sperian Protection is listed on Euronext’s Eurolist and on the SBF120.
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Public Relations contact, Boston: Don Goncalves, dgoncalves@tizinc.com, 781-793-9380, for Tiziani Whitmyre Inc., http://www.tizinc.com/public-relations
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