Teaching Resources

ANSI Standard on Classroom Acoustics

The American National Standards Institute addresses classroom acoustics in a series of standards (ANSI S12.60 Parts 1 and 2). Classroom acoustics booklets are free to interested professionals here. At the Standards store, you can obtain U.S. and international standards.

Tinnitus Simulation

The following is a link to an audio simulation which mimics what tinnitus (ringing in the ears) sounds like to someone who suffers from this condition. The file is free to download, but please provide credit to Dr. Martin of the Oregon Hearing Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University if you use the file for training or demonstration purposes.

Noise Measurement Databases

  • The Noise Navigator spreadsheet includes sound levels for more than 1700 occupational, recreational, and military noise sources. The reference is listed for each source. For further information or to expand this resource, please contact Elliott Berger.
  • The noise Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) consists of nearly one million occupational noise exposure measurements across 275 industries. The JEM was constructed by collecting noise exposure measurements from OSHA, MSHA, private industry, and published literature between 1963-2015. The JEM web App can be used to filter, visualize, and download the noise exposure estimates in the JEM for the purposes of assessing exposures for epidemiological studies, occupational health interventions, and other public health-oriented purposes.

Favorite Sound Graphic

While people are often asked about their favorite color, they are rarely asked about their favorite sound. This technique can raise awareness of the importance of hearing and can be used in hearing loss prevention programs and elsewhere. This graphic is based on approximately 3000 favorite‑sound responses from the Favorite Sound Project survey. The survey can be accessed here. For further information, please contact Professor Deanna Meinke at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO.

NHCA/OSHA/NIOSH Alliance

OSHA’s former Alliance program was designed to provide parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as training and education, outreach and communication, and promoting national dialogue on various aspects of workplace safety and health. The Program produced a best-practices document, Hearing Protection-Emerging Trends: Individual Fit Testing, that provides general information on fit-testing of hearing protectors. The alliance also supported the Shipyard Council of America Alliance with OSHA to develop a tool box talk on hearing protection for their small shipyard members.