HS2 and CSJV (Costain and Skanska), its early works contractor on Euston station in London, have adopted smart ear defenders to reduce work-related hearing damage.
Smart ear defender manufacturer Eave has used HS2’s London construction sites as a testbed for the latest version of its hearing protection technology.
The digitally enabled headset protects hearing and gathers noise data, which is then transferred to noise mapping software and analysed to produce accurate information about every worker’s noise exposure across the worksite.
The smart technology both locates and measures noise to enable a targeted approach to protect every person’s hearing across a construction site.
The headsets are designed with ‘hear-through’ technology that eliminates the need for a site worker to remove them in order to hear sound around them or talk to colleagues.
Following the innovation project, HS2 main works civil contractor SCSjv (Skanska Costain STRABAG), which is building the route between Euston’s tunnels and the M25, has ordered 300 Eave headsets. Meanehile, CSJV is looking at extending the solution across all its HS2 sites and discussions are being had with all HS2 enabling works joint ventures.
Occupational health and workforce wellbeing manager at CSJV Sandra Winters, said: “It’s been a real advantage to see the real-time noise data and the exposure that has occurred to help us see what the potential impact is and to really look at what the risks are.”
Eave CEO and founder Dr David Greenberg, said: “Damage to hearing from noise exposure at work is permanent and debilitating, but it is also preventable. Our partnership with HS2 is important to demonstrate the health, social and commercial benefits of Eave’s solution. As awareness of the harmful effects of noise exposure increases so the technology we’ve been developing with the HS2 project will help both site workers and their businesses to manage noise in a way that is targeted, efficient and safe.”
