Christian Giguère

University of Ottawa

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Chantal Laroche

University of Ottawa

Véronique Vaillancourt

University of Ottawa

Hilmi R. Dajani

University of Ottawa

Nicolas N. Ellaham

University of Ottawa

Sigfrid D. Soli

House Clinic

Wail Gueaieb

University of Ottawa

Flora Nassrallah

Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario

Hugues Nélisse

Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail

Josée Lagacé

University of Ottawa

Sharon M. Abel

Defence Research and Development Canada

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University of Toronto

Google (United States)

Université de Montréal

Mount Sinai Hospital

Université Laval

University of British Columbia

Ottawa University

University of Victoria

Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal

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UPDATE ON FITNESS STANDARDS FOR HEARING-CRITICAL JOBS

Chantal Laroche Christian Giguère Véronique Vaillancourt Sigfrid D. Soli

10.25144/16895

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Update on communication headset noise measurements in the workplace

Canadian acoustics (2016)

Flora Nassrallah Nicolas N. Ellaham Christian Giguère Hilmi R. Dajani

Increased use of communication headsets found in various workplaces raises concerns regarding potentially hazardous sound exposure levels. Current national and international standards specify a wide range of simple and specialized methods for the measurement of sound exposure under communication headsets. The ISO 11904 describes two methods for the measurement of noise from sources close to the ears: the Microphone in a Real Ear and the acoustic manikin techniques. Some national standards also specify the use of general-purpose artificial ears. Finally, standard CSA Z107.56-13 describes an indirect calculation method as a simpler alternative requiring only basic noise measurement equipment and calculation steps. However, to date, quantitative data comparing the degree of agreement between the different measurement methods or their relative performance are lacking, and it is not known if occupational health and safety or hearing loss prevention stakeholders have the necessary training and equipment to integrate them in their daily practice. A three-step study including a survey questionnaire and a series of laboratory experiments was conducted to address the several knowledge gaps on the topic. This research provided new knowledge to guide selection of the most suitable methods for the assessment of communication headset exposure taking into account expertise, access to equipment, and field logistic constraints. The paper will summarize research findings and discuss implications for future revisions of standard CSA Z107.56. [This project was funded by a research grant provided by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario]

Headset

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An indirect calculation method for estimating occupational sound exposure from communication headsets

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2019)

Flora Nassrallah Nicolas N. Ellaham Christian Giguère Hilmi R. Dajani

Measurement of noise exposure from communication headsets is challenging due to the need for specialized equipment, methods, and training. Canadian standard Z107.56-13 [(2013). Measurement of Noise Exposure (Canadian Standards Association, Mississauga, Canada)] introduced a calculation procedure to promote a simpler method that stakeholders in hearing loss prevention could readily apply using widely accessible sound level equipment. The original procedure specified a fixed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 15 dB above the protected background noise when estimating the speech listening level through the headset communication channel. The relationship between background noise level, noise type, headset noise reduction (NR), and speech listening level is revisited in this study. In a noise simulation room, 24 participants were asked to adjust the headset volume while listening to speech and executing a visual reaction task. Results indicate that the growth in speech listening levels with noise is not adequately represented by a fixed SNR, and that one-sided listening increases speech levels by about 5–7 dB in quiet and in noise compared to two-sided listening. Moreover, use of an octave-band procedure with derating to estimate headset NR best captured the speech listening level data. A revised calculation procedure based on linear regression modeling is described with parameters adjusted separately for one-sided and two-sided headsets.

Headset

QUIET

Sound exposure

10.1121/1.5088586

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The generation of DC potentials in a computational model of the organ of Corti: effects of voltage-dependent K+ channels in the basolateral membrane of the inner hair cell

Hearing Research (1998)

Maarten G. van Emst Christian Giguère Guido F. Smoorenburg

Epithelial polarity

10.1016/s0378-5955(97)00192-5

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Optimal installation of audible warning systems in the noisy workplace

Christian Giguère Chantal Laroche Rida Al Osman Yun Zheng

Warning sounds are necessary to promptly alert workers of events that can compromise safety. A wide range of strategies, including verbal and non-verbal signals have been used in different environments (Edworthy & Adams 1996; Haas & Edworthy 2006; Edworthy & Hellier 2006). Unfortunately, the use of warning signals in industry is often submitted to intuitive installation practices with little regard to the many factors contributing to an efficient and safe use (Tran Quoc & Hetu 1996). There may also be a mismatch between auditory demands and capabilities in the workplace (Hetu 1994). Failure to react to alarms can increase the risk of accidents.

Compromise

Warning signs

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Adaptive environment classification system for hearing aids

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2010)

Luc Lamarche Christian Giguère Wail Gueaieb T. Aboulnasr Hisham Othman

An adaptive sound classification framework is proposed for hearing aid applications. The long-term goal is to develop fully trainable instruments in which both the acoustical environments encountered in daily life and the hearing aid settings preferred by the user in each environmental class could be learned. Two adaptive classifiers are described, one based on minimum distance clustering and one on Bayesian classification. Through unsupervised learning, the adaptive systems allow classes to split or merge based on changes in the ongoing acoustical environments. Performance was evaluated using real-world sounds from a wide range of acoustical environments. The systems were first initialized using two classes, Speech and Noise, followed by a testing period when a third class, Music, was introduced. Both systems were successful in detecting the presence of an additional class and estimating its underlying parameters, reaching a testing accuracy close to the target rates obtained from best-case scenarios derived from non-adaptive supervised versions of the classifiers (about 3% lower performance). The adaptive Bayesian classifier resulted in a 4% higher overall accuracy upon splitting adaptation than the minimum distance classifier. Merging accuracy was found to be the same in the two systems and within 1%–2% of the best-case supervised versions.

Merge (version control)

Supervised Learning

10.1121/1.3365301

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Effect of hearing protection and hearing loss on warning sound design

Chantal Laroche Christian Giguère

Warning sound devices are commonly used in noisy workplaces to warn workers of potentially dangerous situations. Warning sound perception depends on many factors, including warning sound levels relative to the background noise, hearing protection and hearing status. Although national and international standards (i.e. ISO 7731) are available to guide the choice of warning sound devices, none appears to take into account all these factors within a comprehensive model. A software tool, Detectsound, was used to demonstrate the extent to which hearing protection can compromise the perception of warning sounds by workers with hearing loss. Detectsound yields desired target sound levels at different workstations for different workers using and for various conditions of hearing protection. Scenarios were constructed using a low-frequency noise spectrum from NIOSH database, different degrees of sensorineural hearing losses, and personal hearing protector attenuation measurements or estimates according to the manufacturer’s data. Detailed analysis of realistic scenarios with Detectsound revealed that a flat and high frequency sensorineural hearing loss combined with hearing protection can compromise high frequency perception and lead to overprotection. Such realistic scenarios make it explicit that the configuration of warning devices can vary significantly depending on the hearing status of workers at a given workstation and the variability in attenuation provided by hearing protectors.

Sound perception

Hearing protection

Hearing aid

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Time-domain modeling of peripheral auditory processing: A modular architecture and a software platform

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (1995)

Roy D. Patterson Mike H. Allerhand Christian Giguère

A software package with a modular architecture has been developed to support perceptual modeling of the fine-grain spectro-temporal information observed in the auditory nerve. The package contains both functional and physiological modules to simulate auditory spectral analysis, neural encoding, and temporal integration, including new forms of periodicity-sensitive temporal integration that generate stabilized auditory images. Combinations of the modules enable the user to approximate a wide variety of existing, time-domain, auditory models. Sequences of auditory images can be replayed to produce cartoons of auditory perceptions that illustrate the dynamic response of the auditory system to everyday sounds.

Auditory System

10.1121/1.414456

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Evaluation of audible traffic signals for pedestrians with visual impairment

Canadian acoustics (2003)

Christian Giguère Chantal Laroche Pierre Poirier

Audible signals are used at several road intersections across Canada to enable pedestrians with visual impairment to cross safely. The acoustic parameters can be quite different among the different signals used and this can be the source of particular difficulties for the users. A study was conducted to identify which signal is the easiest to localize, among 6 signals proposed, and which one is judged the safest. Two of the signals (cuckoo and peep-peep) are standardized by the Transportation Association of Canada, and the remaining signals are four variations of the melody signal proposed by the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille (Longueuil, QC). A group of 10 subjects with normal vision and 10 subjects with visual impairment participated. Objective sound localization measurements were made outside on a quiet street using a rotating chair as angular pointer. A questionnaire was also administered to obtain an individual appraisal of the 6 signals, and a rating system allowed judging the signals relative to each other. The results for the melody signals varied substantially with the fundamental frequency and harmonic richness of the musical sequence. Two of the melodies, with the lowest fundamental frequency and richest harmonic content, emerged as the best signals overall. Among the standardised signals, the cuckoo provided acceptable performance, but the peep-peep should be abandoned because of very poor subjective assessment.

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SIGNAL (programming language)

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Comparison of direct measurement methods for headset noise exposure in the workplace

Proceedings of meetings on acoustics (2013)

Flora Nassrallah Christian Giguère Hilmi R. Dajani

Specialized equipment and techniques are required to carry out sound measurements under occluded ears for the purpose of assessing the noise exposure from communication headsets. Standard ISO 11904 describes two procedures: 1) the microphone in a real ear (MIRE) and 2) the acoustic manikin technique using an occluded ear simulator IEC 60318-4. Methods using simpler artificial ears, such as IEC 60318-1, have also been proposed in national occupational noise measurement standards. Such fixtures are more practical to use and more easily accessible. However, they have not been designed specifically for noise measurements under communication headsets and there is little comparative data to the manikin technique, which is considered the gold standard for simulated in-situ acoustic measurements. Fit-refit measurements were obtained under laboratory conditions with four measurement set-ups (artificial ear type 1, type 2, type 3.3, and acoustic manikin), three communication headset types (circum-aural, supra-aural, intra-aural) and six different communication signals. Data was transformed into equivalent-diffuse sound levels using third-octave procedures as well as single number corrections. Overall, results across measurement set-ups are in broad agreement, except for the type 1 artificial ear, but single number corrections reduce measurement accuracy.

Headset

10.1121/1.4799979

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Citations (1)