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Farm Noise and Hearing Network
FARM NOISE &
HEARING PROJECT
NEWSLETTER
May 2003
Contact for this edition of the FNHN Newsletter:
Sarah Griswood, Murray Mallee Community Health Service
Ph (08) 8535 6800
Welcome to the May edition of the Farm Noise and Hearing Network Newsletter. We
are almost halfway through the year and there are still many plans for great events
ahead.
Our next meeting in June will include a segment focusing on the types and effects of
auditory conditions, and some clues on how to read and interpret audiograms.
Everyone is invited to contribute to this and to bring along any questions you have.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Newsletter Contents:
 Hearing Awareness Week information
 June Network Meeting Agenda
 Portfolio Reports
 Lucindale Field Days Report
Next Network Meeting:
Friday June 13th 2003
All are welcome!
Chair & Minutes: Training and Development/Research Portfolio
Bernafon Australia
Australian made hearing aids utilizing Swiss technology
Proudly supporting the Farm Noise and Hearing project to promote the prevention of
hearing loss in our community
Remember…..
Hearing Awareness
Week
Will be held from 24th – 30th
August 2003
The theme for this year is
“Hearing Aids Help
You”
Let’s consider something we
could do this week to promote
healthy hearing!
Farm Noise & Hearing Network
Agenda
Friday 13th June
Disability Information Resource Centre (DIRC)
195 Gillies Street, Adelaide
12-00pm to 5-00pm
Auditory Conditions and the Audiogram
Noise injury? What else?
Start: 12.00 noon - Time frame: 30 – 45 minutes
Format: Information, case studies and general discussion
(so….bring your lunch)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Followed by Network meeting: Chair & Minutes: Research portfolio
Present
Apologies
Previous Minutes
Business Arising
4.1. Hearing Test facility
4.2. Mailing list/membership issues/update
4.3. Other
Correspondence
Working Group Reports
6.1. Planning
6.2. Research
6.3. Promotions
Project Events
7.1. Mt Compas (March 26)
7.2. Lucindale (March 14&15)
7.3. Kapunda (May 2&3)
7.4. Riverland (September 10&11)
7.5. Paskeville (Sept/Oct 30,1&2)
7.6. Eyre Peninsula
Hearing Awareness Week
General Business/Other
Any additional agenda items please contact :
David May – (08) 8298 9820 / 0408 898 323
Email: [email protected]
Promotions Portfolio Report
February 2003
Membership -Jenny Callendar, Hearing Solutions has retired from the portfolio.
Thankyou to Jenny for all your energy and enthusiasm over the past few years. We
welcome Carolyn Kilpatrick, Hearing Solutions to the portfolio in 2003.
Web site - The web-site has been updated and is in draft form. Thanks to Scott
Battersby for assisting us in the process and saving the network a considerable amount
of money. These are at the following address:
http://www.farmnoise.on.net/newfact.htm and please forward any feedback to Jo
Pilgrim, [email protected] by 28 February 2003.
Publications – Thankyou to Carolyn Kilpatrick for compiling the February
newsletter and to Adriana Deluca at Hearing Solutions for her support. We are
working on articles for the SA Rural Network Publication's newsletter, "Paperbark"
and "Rural Directions" (?PIRSA) in 2003
Fact sheets - The fact sheets and posters are available today from Jo. These will be
distributed across the state - north-west held at Port Pirie; Wakefield held at Clare;
central held at Hearing Solutions; south-east held at Naracoorte and another one held
at Murray Bridge. There are two sets of the posters for storage in the van.
Resource kit - Members were surveyed re the contents of these 5 kits that will be
held across the state - same locations as the leaflets and posters. Pricing &
compilation of the resource kits is continuing. Ear muffs and ear plugs have been
approved by lan Dack, Associated Screw and Safety Pty Ltd and are due to be
delivered shortly.
Farm Noise & Hearing Event Calendar - Please report any events during the
meeting so that they can be minuted for all to add to their calendars.
Hearing access - Jenny has put together a leaflet, which is in draft format and will
offer those with detected hearing loss information on services available to them.
Sponsorship evaluation report - In draft format for Feb 03 meeting. Will be
professionally produced and distributed to stakeholders once feedback has been
sought from Network members.
PLANNING PORTFOLIO REPORT October 2002 - February 2003
FN&HN representation on Farmsafe SA committee from 2003 confirmed
 Recommendation Lyn and Amanda to share role
Workcover SA discussion re possible collaborative Horticulture industry projects
 Network to establish a Horticultural working group (probably cross portfolios?) to
address horticultural issues and exploit possible Workcover opportunities
Sponsorship negotiations ongoing - decision pending > continue to pursue Bernafon
as major sponsors,
 consider adjustment of benefits, if sponsorship level is significantly decreased
 access Bernafon staff for training
New Hearing Test Facility for SA - discussion paper developed by David May and
others
 distribute to key stakeholders with view to obtaining funding to obtain an
alternative
facility, as per David's recommendations
Current Hearing Test Facility - discussion re efficient housing and transportation
 van to be housed at wither Wallaroo or Angaston, depending on the event
schedule, storage location decision based on minimisation of transportation costs
for Network
Mini grant applications considered and recommendations made
 recommended allocation of funds be endorsed by Network
Current subsidy reporting system
 Planning portfolio to review current time-line, to reduce pressure on Network
members when.reporting and obtaining sponsorship, allocating funds
Reviewed of Terms of Reference, in particular
 portfolio structure to continue (believed to be an effective and efficient
mechanism)
 Recommend slight change of Research Portfolio role and Title to be accepted in
Annual
meeting
 Recommend differentiation between network members and affiliates status
Planning Portfolio - reviewed portfolio activity
 Allocation of personnel to roles within planning portfolio being reviewed, e.g.
budget
administration, van coordination, contact person
 nominations for Planning Portfolio to date - Lyn Forby, Ron Kendall, Kate
McCormack, Maureen McGrotty, Amanda Schiller
Budget Management
 Recommend accept budget report as presented
FARM NOISE AND HEARING
EVENT: LUCINDALE FIELD DAYS
MARCH 14TH & 15TH 2003
The Farm Noise and Hearing Event conducted at the Lucindale Field
Days involved a mulit-disciplinary team including 3 Speech Pathologists
and a 4 th year student Speech Pathologist, 2 Audiologists, 2 Hearing
Consultants from Hearing solutions and a very easygoing truck driver!
Over the two days of the event a total of 117 hearing tests were
performed for farmers, their wives, children and other individuals
involved in the farming, agricultural, horticultural and noise industries.
An additional 14 people were not able to have their hearing tested on the
day due to build up of wax. It was recommended they consult their GP to
have their ears cleaned out, prior to a follow-up screening.
Of the 117 people tested the following results were obtained:
Hearing Status
Number of clients identified
Hearing Within Normal Limits
61
Mild Noise Induced Loss
16
Moderate Noise Induced Loss
8
Severe/Profound Noise Induced
19
Loss
Another type of hearing loss
13
indicated
Unable to have hearing tested
14
(wax build up)
Total Contacts
117
Hearing Solutions
Number of Contacts
126
Our objectives of the event were to:
1 .Identify people with a hearing loss.
2. Provide education and information about services, assistive listening
devices and products to prevent noise induced hearing loss, to those
that either a) were identified with a noise induced loss, b) were at risk
of having a noise induced loss or 3) were identified with another kind
of hearing loss.
3. Refer anyone with an identified loss back to their GP for further
follow-up.
4. Promote the importance of hearing preservation in the younger
generation farmers and other exposed to regular loud noise.
The figures identified above show that we did identify those with noise
induced hearing loss, and given the services provided by the team, people
were able to follow up on preventative information or assistive listening
devices on site. Hearing Solutions statistics of 126 contacts included
advice on communication skills training, hearing aids, assistive listening
devices, hearing advisory, hearing assessment, tinnitus and referral to
Allied Health professionals. Speech Pathology statistics included
contacts for hearing assessment, hearing preservation information,
referral to Hearing Solutions, referral to Audiologists on site and
information about noise induced hearing loss.
The use of visual displays (posters and equipment) caught many people's
attention and was often the starting point for discussion.
The Farm Noise & Hearing Project event conducted at Lucindale Field
Days proved successful in achieving all of the identified objectives. The
multi-disciplinary team approach with local service providers allowed for
on-the-spot agency referral for immediate advice. Feedback from the
public indicated their gratitude and congratulations for providing
a
service of such high standard, at no cost to them. We would like to thank
the sponsors Bernafon who helped support this event and look forward to
completing more events in the future.
Emily Williams
Speech Pathologist
South East Regional Health Service - Naracoorte Former member of the
Farm Noise & Hearing Network, Planning Portfolio.