Skip main navigation

Military Health System

Clear Your Cache

Health.mil has undergone a recent update. For the best user experience we recommend clearing your browser cache.

New Policy Benefits Noise-exposed Service Members

Image of A service member wears headphones while sitting at a desk. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Michael Murphy, an audiologist and U.S. Army liaison at Hearing Center of Excellence, demonstrates a type of fit-test equipment used to measure the amount of noise reduction a person is getting from their specific hearing protector. A new Department of Defense policy will soon require fit testing for service members and civilians enrolled in a hearing conservation program who have high noise exposures, and those who have sustained hearing loss. (Photo: Larine Barr, MHS Communications)

A Department of Defense policy will soon require hearing protector fit testing for DOD personnel who are exposed to certain noise levels, according to the Defense Health Agency Hearing Center of Excellence.

The change is an update to Department of Defense Instruction 6055.12 “Hearing Conservation Program” and is expected to be published by the end of 2022.

Hearing protector fit testing measures the amount of noise reduction, or attenuation, a hearing protector provides while it is being worn. This measurement is referred to as a Personal Attenuation Rating, or PAR.

The new requirement calls for initial hearing protector fit-testing for those who have documented noise exposure greater than or equal to 95 decibels over an 8-hour time-weighted average, and who are enrolled in a service hearing conservation program, explained U.S. Air Force Col. Samuel Spear, chief of HCE, a branch of the Research Portfolio Management Division of the DHA Research and Engineering Directorate.

Spear added that fit testing will also be required in the following situations:

• A service member tests positive for a significant threshold shift, otherwise known as hearing loss, in a periodic audiogram.

• Physical changes to a person’s ear canal cause a poor fit of their assigned hearing protection devices.

• The primary type of fitted hearing protection device is no longer available to the employee.

• An “early warning” hearing loss occurs. This happens when a person’s hearing worsens by 15 decibels at any of the following frequencies: 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000 hertz.

Spear noted, however, that these are the minimum criteria for hearing protector fit testing in the DOD and the service components may have different requirements. “Each service component may institute more stringent requirements to better meet the needs of their respective hearing conservation program,” he said.

Testing Protective Equipment to Ensure Readiness

“Hearing protector fit-testing contributes to service member readiness, because it can mitigate the occurrence of Significant Threshold Shifts and hearing-related fitness for duty evaluations,” said Spear.

The testing is also accurate.

“Hearing protector fit testing is a proven way to quantitively measure the amount of noise reduction a person is getting from their specific hearing protector,” explained Dr. Theresa Schulz, prevention section lead at HCE, who is heading up efforts to announce and guide the policy change across the DOD. “Fit testing can be used to determine if the person is not achieving adequate protection, and it can remedy the problem through training or finding another type of hearing protector."

There are many benefits to conducting fit testing, which is recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as a best practice in hearing conservation. According to Schulz, Fit testing can identify workers at risk for noise-induced hearing loss due to inadequate hearing device fit, help personnel select the right device for their work environment, train workers to properly fit and use hearing protectors, and reduce noise-induced hearing loss for service members enrolled in hearing conservation programs.

Schulz added that HCE will distribute information to impacted organizations on how to comply with implementing it before the updated DOD policy is published.

“We’re here to help and answer any questions the services may have to enable a successful launch and implementation of this new requirement,” said Schulz.

You also may be interested in...

Video
Dec 9, 2024

Warrior Care: A Marine Finds Community with Art

Warrior Care: A Marine Finds Community with Art

Lance Cpl Sara Vanegas is a Marine with the Wounded Warriors Batallion East at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. She is a talented artist who is finding community through her art and the Warrior Care Program. Learn more about the many resources and programs available at health.mil/warriorcare.

Video
May 31, 2024

What is a Hearing Fit Test?

What is a Hearing Fit Test?

Fit testing is where we take measurements without hearing protection and then take measurements again with hearing protection to measure how much attenuation of noise the earplugs, earmuffs or ear protectors are actually providing. Learn more about the Hearing Center of Excellence at health.mil/HCE

Video
Nov 18, 2022

Winter Safety: Frostbite

Winter Safety Frostbite

Playing in the snow can be fun, but the fun can fade if one becomes victim to hypothermia or frostbite. Staying out in the cold for extended periods of time can cause cold-related problems and put health in jeopardy, so learn how to avoid, spot, and treat these conditions. Also, keep other vulnerable populations in mind and check on loved ones. ...

Video
Nov 18, 2022

Winter Safety: Hunting

Winter Safety Hunting

Being outdoors in the autumn and winter can be a great way to get fresh air and exercise. For many, the cooler weather also means hunting season which can pose dangers, sending hunters to the hospital or worse. Heart attacks, injured backs and broken bones are among the most common medical emergencies in hunting. #huntsafewearorange

Video
Nov 18, 2022

Winter Safety: Do Your Part

Photo of "Dr. Love," Mr. A1 Jones

Leonard Jones from Air Force Safety Center Risk Management aka “Dr. Love” shares life-saving winter tips for you and your family during the fall and winter months. #holidaysafe

Skip subpage navigation
Refine your search
Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery