Websites - HEARsmart

Websites

Here are some of the websites that we really rate in the hearing / hearing protection space – check them out if you want to find out a bit more. And please take a minute to drop us a line if there are any topics you want to know more about, we’re keen to make sure you can access all the information you need.

General sites covering hearing, hearing loss, prevention and protection:

  • Action on Hearing Loss: a UK-based organisation with lots of useful information about hearing loss, tinnitus and hearing loss prevention.
  • Australian Government: the Department of Health is home to the Hearing Services program, with some nice information about preventing hearing loss.
  • Australian Hearing: their website has a lot of information about hearing-related problems and the various ways hearing loss can be managed, it also has some specific pages on protecting your hearing.
  • Better Hearing Institute: based in Washington DC in the USA, the institute has a nifty ‘hearingpedia’ that explains many things relating to hearing and hearing loss, the hearing loss prevention page gives a nice, succinct overview.
  • Hear The World Foundation: created by Sonova, The Hear The World Foundation is an advocate for equal opportunities and improved quality of life for people with hearing loss around the world.
  • HearTomorrow: US-based organisation that runs workshops to promote awareness of noise- and music-induced hearing loss for musicians, sound engineers, audiologists and more.
  • International Ear Care Day: is an annual event by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care across the world.
  • The HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) / Hearing Education and Research Network (HEARnet): the CRC has some useful info on hearing loss on its HEARnet website.
  • The Center for Hearing and Communication: the centre provides hearing healthcare in the USA and extends to an online Noise Center – a public resource and information repository, worth a quick browse.

   Music and venue-related stuff:

  • Action On Hearing Loss: the UK-based organisation has a new campaign called Loud Music, it’s a little similar to HEARsmart with heaps of great information, go check it out!
  • All Ears: from Sheffield in the UK, this is a hearing protection campaign that is driven by a group of music lovers who got tinnitus “from being idiots around high sound levels”. All Ears promote hearing protection on nights out and have launched an EarSmart scheme, working alongside music venues to ensure free hearing protection is provided for clubbers. Great stuff.
  • Coordinate Movement: is based in Portland, USA, and is taking a holistic approach to the study of music; the site includes a nice little article titled Hearing Loss Prevention for Musicians – moderation, ear plugs, and humming, worth a quick read.
  • Don’t Lose The Music: is an initiative of New Zealand based Acoustix Hearing who sell hearing protection products designed for professionals in the music industry, it has some nice information about protecting your hearing in the mix.
  • Music Victoria: has a Best Practice Guide for Live Music Venues that has some good advice on sound management.
  • Sound Advice: a UK based group made up of representatives from music and entertainment sectors, as well as Environmental Health Officers and the Health and Safety Executive, released Safe Hearing Tips For Music Venues in 2007 on how to reduce the hearing loss risks associated with playing amplified music at venues.
  • Worksafe Western Australia Commission: has a useful code of practice from 2003 titled Control of Noise in the Music Entertainment Industry.

   Occupational information: