Abstract:

In 1990, a symposium ``Combatting Noise in the '90s: A National Strategy for the United States,'' was initiated by Congressman Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and funded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in cooperation with co-sponsoring organizations, the Acoustical Society of America and the American Academy of Otolaryngology---Head and Neck Surgery. The key participants were divided into nine working groups covering topics dealing with the effects of noise, the control of noise, and education and regulation. Two working groups, VI Consumer Noise Sources and Hearing Protection, and VII Public Information and Education, examined issues relating to the labeling of noisy products and also noise-reducing products, how to inform the public about the need for such ratings, and the meaning and application of such numbers. The products requiring rating and/or classification that were examined were categorized as guns, music reproduction equipment, equipment and appliances, toys, hearing protection, and building spaces. The author, who was the chair of Working Group VI, will review the recommendations of both working groups VI and VII in the context of current events.