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Through the OSHA, NIOSH and NHCA Alliance the organizations will work together to provide NHCA members and others, including young workers and small businesses, with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to noise and chemical ototoxic agents. The Alliance's goals include:

Outreach and communication:

• Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of hearing loss caused by workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA's, NIOSH's and NHCA's Web sites) to employers and employees in affected industries.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA, NIOSH, or NHCA sponsored conferences, local meetings, or other events such as the annual NHCA conference.
• Share information among OSHA and NIOSH personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding NHCA recommended best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by OSHA, NIOSH, and NHCA developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
• Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

Promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health:

• Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on workplace hearing loss prevention issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

Related Documents

Alliance Agreements

• Agreement signed February 21, 2008.

Alliance Annual Reports

• Alliance Annual Report 2008-2009, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances.
• Alliance Annual Report 2009-2010, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances.
• Alliance Annual Report 2010-2011, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances.
• Alliance Annual Report 2011-2012, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances.

Alliance News Releases

• New Alliance Formed Between OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Hearing Conservation Association. OSHA News Release (2008, February 22).
• NIOSH, OSHA, and NHCA Establish Alliance on Workplace Hearing Loss Prevention. NIOSH News Release (2008, March 24).

• May 5-11, 2013: 2013 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)/National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) Alliance and a number of other Alliance Program participants support 2013 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. 2013 Theme: "Worker Safety Works for Everyone."
• May 6-12, 2012: 2012 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)/National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) and a number of other Alliance Program participants support 2012 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by ASSE and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. 2012 Theme: "Safety, What Every Business Needs."
• May 1-7, 2011: 2011 North American Occupational Safety and Health NAOSH) Week. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)/National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported 2011 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers, an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The theme for 2011 was "Celebrating a Century of Safety."

Products and Resources

• Alliance Program Participant Background

Alliance Program Participant Developed Products

• Toolbox Talks: Hearing Conservation in the Shipbuilding Industry [PDF^*- 670 KB]. Through the OSHA and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and National Hearing Conservation Association, American Shipbuilding Association, National Shipbuilding Research Program, and Shipbuilders Council of America Alliances, the participants developed a series of toolbox talks focusing on hearing conservation in the shipbuilding industry. The toolbox talks address a number of hearing conservation-related topics, including shipbuilding noise levels and selecting hearing protection. The toolbox talks also include a hearing protection checklist for workers in shipyard employment. (2009, April)
• Hearing Protection-Emerging Trends: Individual Fit Testing [PDF^* - 45 KB]. Through the OSHA and NIOSH/NHCA Alliance, the organizations developed the best practices document, "Hearing Protection-Emerging Trends: Individual Fit Testing." The best practice document provides general information on fit-testing of hearing protectors. (2008, August)

OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages

• Occupational Noise Exposure

OSHA eTools

• Noise and Hearing Conservation⁺

Additional Resources

• NIOSH/NHCA Alliance page

⁺Alliance Implementation Team members participated in the development of this resource.

Areas of Emphasis

• Small Businesses
• Youth

Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs at 202-693-2200 for assistance accessing PDF materials.

^*These files are provided for downloading.