ON THE COVER

The TEDx talk is 14 and a half minutes long, but Deason gave an Scan the QR code to see our current open positions

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Michael Hatcher & Associates is a proud member of

Continued from Page 2 abbreviated version at two morning launches May 23 and 24 to our Commercial

Construction and Commercial Maintenance teams

The training, also attended by Industrial Account Manager

Chelsea Byrd of Martin, included a demonstration of how to properly insert earplugs, a brief lesson on the anatomy of the ear, and an explanation about how damaging the highfrequency noises from equipment and machinery can be

Safety 101

brain so the brain can interpret it as sound She added that the nerve receptors for higher frequencies are destroyed from noise overexposure, which explains why we lose the ability to hear common everyday sounds of speech like th, sh, f, s, h, ch, k, t, and p

“Not understanding those sounds affects our ability to communicate with anybody, regardless of the tone of their voice, because with noise-induced hearing loss, saying it louder doesn’t help the clarity at all,” Deason said

As for the proper way to wear hearing protection, Deason said disposable, single-use foam earplugs should be rolled – not squished, folded, or twisted – before being inserted

“Sound waves enter the outer ear through the ear canal, and they cause the eardrum to vibrate,” Deason said “That vibration is sent to the three bones in the middle ear, and that sends the vibrations to the cochlea, which is that tiny shell-like organ in the inner ear ”

Inside the cochlea are thousands of tiny hair-like auditory nerve receptors that convert the vibrations into electrical energy and send it to the

“A crease in it allows noise to go right through it,” she said, adding that the proper way to insert an earplug is by reaching behind the head with the opposite hand to pull back the outer part of the ear to “open the door” to place the earplug all the way into the ear canal, where it should be held three to four seconds before letting go

“When I look at you straight on, I should not see your ear plug sticking out of your ear.”

Deason also addressed those who refuse to wear hearing protection because they’ve already experienced some hearing loss

“People say I’ve already lost my hearing I don’t want to wear earplugs,” she said “Wrong!”

Another common excuse is that hearing protection isn’t cool

“But you know what’s less cool?”

Deason asked “Not understanding conversations the rest of your life ”