Sensaphonics president Michael Santucci (left) receives the 2009 Safe In Sound Award for Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention from Dr. Jim Newhall, NIOSH Director of Extramural Programs.
Photo by Jack Foreman
Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation Inc., a technology leader in hearing-related products for the music industry based in Chicago, has been honored with the inaugural Safe In Sound Award for Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention. The honor was presented on February 13 at the 34th annual Hearing Conservation Conference in Atlanta. Sensaphonics founder and president Michael Santucci, Au.D., accepted the award.
The Safe In Sound Awards are co-sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA). The awards honor companies that have shown dedication to preventing noise-induced hearing loss through excellent practices in the work environment. NIOSH is part of the federal government’s Centers for Disease Control within the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal agency responsible for preventing work-related injury and illness.
“This is an incredible honor,” Santucci says. “To be recognized by NIOSH and the NHCA for our work in high-risk, unregulated environments—like the music industry—is incredible. It’s an affirmation that we’ve been doing the right thing—developing new products and technologies, educating our customers, and mentoring audiologists in how to help musicians have longer, healthier careers by preserving their hearing.”
The inaugural Safe In Sound Award for Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention, presented to Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation Inc.
According to the awards committee, Sensaphonics was selected to receive the Innovation Award for being a pioneer in combining products, audiology services and education to reach their hearing loss prevention goals, for a culture of innovation and educational outreach, and for having raised awareness of the importance of hearing loss prevention among audiologists, the music industry and the general public.
Recent product developments such as the patent-pending 3D Active Ambient IEM System and dB Check in-ear sound level analyzer have firmly established Sensaphonics as a leader in custom earphones. In addition, the company works to educate the music industry on hearing loss prevention through lectures, published articles, research studies and its Golden Circle training seminars for audiologists. Sensaphonics is also said to be the only earphone manufacturer with a musicians’ hearing clinic, providing individual testing and counseling in its Chicago headquarters.
For more information, visit www.sensaphonics.com and www.safeinsound.us. For more information about noise and hearing loss prevention research at NIOSH, click here.
