Hearing Conservation Manual

6th Edition Now Available!

The most recent edition of the CAOHC Hearing Conservation Manual represents an enormous team effort and many years of experience by top subject matter experts in the field of occupational hearing conservation. It offers valuable information to develop and guide efforts of effective hearing conservation programs and is essential to any member of the occupational hearing conservation team.

Chapters within this text have been written by subject matter experts in their specific fields of expertise and reviewed by CAOHC constituent groups, including industrial hygienists, military audiologists, noise-control engineers, occupational audiologists, occupational health nurses, occupational health physicians, otolaryngologists and safety engineers.

The manual’s purpose is to educate and to support CAOHC’s mission of advancing best practices in occupational hearing conservation worldwide through collaboration, certification, education, and advocacy. Previous versions of the CAOHC Hearing Conservation Manual were designed to assist Course Directors in teaching their Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) courses, and to be used as a reference resource by COHCs. This edition addresses a broader audience of Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) team members while also continuing to serve as a valuable resource for Course Directors and COHCs.

The 6th Edition is packed with valuable updates, including: 

• Two new chapters on Navigating Workplace Solvent Exposure and Hearing Protection Device Fit Testing
• A new section discussing boothless audiometry
• A new section on evaluating hearing conservation program effectiveness using leading and lagging indicators
• Revised standards and regulations for a more global application
• Refreshed content, images, and tables and expert-advised revisions!

6th Edition Pricing:

$105 each
$80 each for Course Directors 

About the Authors

There have been a significant number of individuals that have contributed to the development of this manual. Special recognition is given to Dr. Alice Suter, editor of the 3rd and 4th edition of the Hearing Conservation Manual, the authors of the 5th edition, as well as the current and past members of the CAOHC Council.

Chapter authors and contributors include:

Audiology: Richard Danielson, PhD, COL, U.S. Army (ret); Robert Dietz, AuD, CCC-A; Adrian Fuente, MPH, PhD; Kathy Gates, AuD, CCC-A, CPS/A, COL, U.S. Army (ret); Ted Madison, MA, CCC-A, CPS/A; Kirsten McCall, AuD, CCC-A, CPS/A; J. Andrew Merkley, AuD; Theresa Schulz, PhD, PMP, Lt Col, USAF (ret); Carol Snyderwine, MHA, MA, CCC-A, CPS/A; Laurie Wells, AuD, ABAC

Occupational Health Nursing: Bryan J. Topp, MSN, MPH, RN, COHN-S; Kelly Schumacher, MSN, RN, COHN-S/CM

Occupational Medicine: Raúl A. Mirza, DO, MPH, FACOEM, CPS/A; Amir Wolfe, MD, MPH, MBA

Otology: Jim Crawford, LTC, MD, CPS/A; Robert Dobie, MD

Noise Engineering: Charlie Moritz, MS, INCE Bd Cert.; William J. Murphy, PhD; Kim Riegel, PhD

Industrial Hygiene: Chandran Achutan, PhD; Andrew Perkins, MS, CIH, CSP

Special thanks to the members of the CAOHC Hearing Conservation Manual Taskforce: J. Andrew Merkley, AuD; Theresa Schulz, PhD, PMP, LtCol, USAF (ret); Theresa H. Small, AuD, CPS/A; Frank Wartinger, AuD, CPS/A.

About the Editors of the 6th Edition:

Theresa Y. Schulz, PhD, PMP, LtCol, USAF (ret)
Dr. Theresa Schulz is the Senior Audiologist for the Prevention and Surveillance Branch at the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Hearing Center of Excellence. Her background includes U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Veterans Affairs (VA), NIOSH, and Department of Defense, as well as academic and industry experience. Post-military titles include “Global General Safety Training Manager” and “Hearing Conservation Manager” for Honeywell Safety Products; Senior Service Fellow for NIOSH; Research Administrator for the VA; Assistant Chair, Department of Public Health East Tennessee State University; Vice President of Professional Operations for Sonomax Hearing Health Care. Dr. Schulz is a past Chair of the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation, past President of the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), and past Chair of the NHCA Foundation. Dr. Schulz is a certified Project Management Professional.

Theresa H. Small, AuD, CPS/A
Theresa Small, Au.D., CPS/A is an occupational audiologist consultant, CAOHC certified Professional Supervisor, and Course Director. Dr. Small has been practicing audiology since 1999, with a 100% focus on hearing loss prevention since 2007. Dr. Small has her Doctorate in Audiology (Au.D.) from Salus University, 2006; Master of Arts in Audiology, University of Northern Colorado, 1999; and Bachelor of Arts, Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Northern Colorado, 1997. She is currently serving on the CAOHC Council as a representative of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA).