Theresa Y. Schulz, PhD

Howard Leight,  Smithfield, RI, plans a series of free hearing conservation seminars across the Gulf section of the United States from October 21 to 23.

The Best Practices In Hearing Conservation seminars will be presented by Theresa Y. Schulz, PhD, audiologist, and hearing conservation specialist and manager for Sperian Hearing Protection LLC.

Audio/visual demonstrations conveying hearing conservation principles are open to hearing conservation program managers, safety managers, industrial hygienists, and like professionals. The 3-hour seminar includes information to help safety practitioners implement an effective and compliant hearing conservation program.

Topics include: the basics of hearing conservation, effects of noise-induced hearing loss, US OSHA regulations, implementing an effective HC program, tips on selecting and fitting hearing protectors, field verification of hearing protectors, new EPA ratings for hearing protectors, and training and motivating workers to wear hearing protectors.

The event schedule is as follows:

  • Oct 21 – JW Marriott Houston, Tex
  • Oct 22 – Baton Rouge, La Marriott
  • Oct 23 – Marriott Mobile, Ala

Continuing educational credits for industrial hygienists and other safety professionals are pending.

The registration form can be downloaded on the Web site.

The motivational portion of the seminar focuses on techniques to encourage employees to wear their
hearing protection, showing workers they are vulnerable, demonstrating the future risks of not wearing
hearing protection, and removing the barriers to wearing protectors—such as unavailability, discomfort, or a
sense of alienation from being overprotected. Attendees will receive posters, flyers, product samples and
other motivational tools for use in their own hearing conservation programs.

Demonstrations of VeriPRO, a new technology introduced by Howard Leight that measures real-world
attenuation of unmodified earplugs, will be offered immediately following the seminars.

Schulz began her career in hearing conservation as an audiologist for the Army and
retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 2004. She has worked in positions such as
VP of professional operations for Sonomax, and most recently served at NIOSH, where she
was team leader of the Hearing Loss Prevention Branch. She is a certified professional supervisor for
audiometric monitoring (CPS/A), a certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association, and a fellow in the American Academy of Audiology.