Calling all innovators: Safety agencies launch hearing-conservation technology contest
Photo: Leslie Achtymichuk/iStockphoto
Washington – In an effort to encourage the development of technology to combat work-related hearing loss, OSHA, NIOSH, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration have partnered on a new competition.
The deadline to submit entries for Hear and Now – Noise Safety Challenge is Sept. 30. Entries should include the following information:
- A description of the problem being solved
- Design concepts that address the problem with details that show how it differs from what is currently available
- Diagrams, mock-ups and sketches that explain the submitter’s vision
The agencies will select 10 ideas and “invite the creators to pitch their ideas to an investor/judge panel” at the Noise Safety Challenge Event, scheduled for Oct. 27. Representatives from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and NIOSH’s Research to Practice program will be at the event.
The general public, OSHA contractors and special government employees are eligible to compete; those working for federal OSHA offices, State Plan states and on-site consultation programs are not.
According to OSHA, every year 22 million workers are at risk of hearing loss due to workplace noise hazards.
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