Current Research Projects

Hearing Loss Prevention


The prevention of hearing loss raises a host of attitudinal, social, technical, legal and economic issues. NAL's innovative research into these issues serves the Australian community by contributing to scientific knowledge and by raising public awareness.


The following diverse questions are some of the many being addressed by NAL research.

  • Are people aware that loud noise can damage hearing?
  • Do they believe it can happen to them? Do they care?
  • Can people be convinced to reduce their noise exposure?
  • Is leisure noise a problem?
  • Are extended noisy work shifts a special problem?
  • How do we prevent telephone headsets from emitting damaging noises?

Current projects concerned with hearing loss prevention include:

  • Barriers to Noise Exposure Reduction
    Aims to investigate the barriers to noise injury prevention in greater detail and to develop, implement and evaluate appropriate and effective intervention programmes to assist in preventing noise injury. Read More >
  • Noise Exposure Profiles
    Aims to examine the non-work related sources of noise exposure primarily in the 18 to 35 year old population, and to develop measurement tools that are capable of estimating the life time noise exposure profile typical of the community and of specific individuals typical of the sub-groups of the community. Read More >
  • iHEAR - Prevalence of Hearing Loss and its relationship to leisure sound exposure
    Aims to examine the hearing health in young people via PTA, OAE and tympanometry; to gather data on their noise exposure and attitudes to noise; and to correlate information between hearing loss, noisy activities and attitudes. Read More >
  • A School Curriculum-based Hearing Health Programme - Hear Today, Hear Tomorrow
    Aims to provide school students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable them to make informed decisions about protecting their hearing from noise. Based on other successful health education programmes, and in consultation with interested professionals, a hearing loss prevention programme will be designed from a scientific base that can be integrated into the school curriculum, taught by classroom teachers, and will provide students with a clear, concise message that, if adopted, will enable them to protect their hearing in noisy environments. In working with and alongside indigenous communities, this programme will then be adapted or re-designed to reflect the unique experiences/environments in which our indigenous students live. Read More >
  • Speech Referenced Limiting in Telecommunications
    Speech Referenced Limiting, SRL, is a signal processing method that controls the loudness of a signal so it does not exceed the loudness of the speech recently conveyed by the signal, it thereby improves listening comfort and safety. The project involves refinement of the software, IP protection, experimental evaluation and commercialisation. There is potential for licensing the software in a variety of applications such as hearing protectors, hearing aids and telecommunications equipment.