Service Member Resources

We provide resources for service members on how to prevent and protect against noise-induced hearing loss. Our resources also include information about military hearing conservation programs and types of tasks that require good hearing to perform.

New! Hearing Protector Fit Testing

Hearing protector fit testing, or HPFT, measures the amount of noise reduction, or attenuation, while you wear your earplugs. This measure is a personal attenuation rating, or PAR. HPFT determines if a person has enough protection through the PAR. If the PAR does not show enough protection, you may need to relearn how to properly insert your earplugs. You may even need a smaller or larger size or type of earplug.

The Department of Defense Instruction 6055.12, Hearing Conservation Program, dated Nov. 22, 2023 includes the requirement to conduct HPFT. Not every person exposed to loud noise will need HPFT. Talk to your local hearing conservation program manager to see if you need HPFT. You'll also need to complete the Hearing Protection Fit-Test Record (DD Form 3126goes to WHS).  

Benefits of Hearing Protector Fit Testing

  • Train workers to properly fit and use hearing protectors.
  •  Select the right device for the work environment.
  • Identify those at risk for noise-induced hearing loss and enable early intervention.

Comprehensive Hearing Health Program

The most common work-related danger faced by service members is noise. The Defense Health Agency Hearing Center of Excellence focuses on service member and veteran hearing health.

Our Comprehensive Hearing Health Program includes annual education, protection, and monitoring. These activities work together to safeguard hearing as a long-term priority.

CHHP promotes hearing as a critical sense that is important to protect and preserve for a lifetime.

CHHP activities

Educate

Education is the key to prevent hearing loss caused by noise. The CHHP learning products will increase your awareness and understanding of harmful noise. Hearing loss is an invisible injury.

Protect

You should protect your hearing If around loud noise at work or at home. Wear hearing protection that fits properly. Service members get annual hearing protection and counseling. This training is about wearing hearing protection correctly whenever exposed to hazardous noise.

Monitor

Annual hearing checks are important to prevent hearing loss. This helps ensure service members maintain their hearing during their military career.

Boothless Audiometry

Questions and answers about boothless audiometry.

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Boothless hearing tests are done outside of a sound booth. Hearing tests are usually done in a room or booth specifically designed to block out sound. This helps to make sure background noises do not affect the hearing test results. Conducting tests in a loud location could cause inaccurate test results. There are national standards to make sure background noise is quiet enough to get accurate hearing test results.

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Boothless hearing test equipment is designed to reduce background noise and does not need a sound booth. This is done with special sound-attenuating headphones or with insert earphones covered with a sound-attenuating noise muff. Most boothless hearing test systems also monitor background noise during testing. When sounds exceed the allowed standards, the system will pause and then start the hearing test when sounds are acceptable for testing. Regular hearing test equipment does not monitor noise because they are for use in sound-attenuating booths.

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The biggest benefit of boothless hearing testing is being able to conduct hearing testing almost anywhere. This includes places where sound booths are not available or too expensive to set up. For the military, the ability to bring hearing testing to the battlefield, closer to the point of injury, is important. For military hearing conservation programs, if people can be tested at their worksite there is no need to have dedicated space for a sound booth. This can save both time and money.

Boothless hearing testing is appealing to leadership because it can reduce costs for annual hearing testing. In health clinics, boothless hearing testing can provide a quick hearing check before a person is referred to the audiology clinic.

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