Cartier couple’s ears are open

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This article was published 26/05/2017 (3271 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hearing is a sense that can gradually deteriorate and never be fully restored.

That’s why hearing loss prevention is a wise idea, according to Mike and Leah Ross who operate Ross Hearing in the RM of Cartier.

“Hearing affects all aspects of your life,” Leah said.

The two hearing conservation specialists earned their hearing aid practitioner licenses from MacEwan University in Edmonton. Mike is also trained as a counsellor with experience working at youth and adult correctional facilities.

Their training led them to consider starting their own company offering on-site hearing testing and education on hearing loss prevention. They were able to access funding through entrepreneurial programs and established Ross Hearing about two years ago.

Leah, who grew up in St. Francois Xavier, designed the interior of the trailer they use for hearing tests and counselling. It contains a sound booth through which Mike and Leah connect an audiometer to measure a person’s hearing level.

Mike said most business owners like the fact that they can conduct employees’ hearing tests on-site, as some of the businesses, such as roofing companies, don’t have much private office space available.

“It’s no good testing someone’s hearing if you have another person sitting nearby making a sales call,” Mike said. “We can come and set up right next to their building.”

They work with Mike’s brother Jody, an audiologist with Winnipeg Hearing Centres, for client referrals. However, they are able to provide information on hearing loss and ways to prevent further loss.

“We provide education on the danger of noise,” Mike said. “Clients do have questions, and we have answers.”

He said some Manitoba employers aren’t aware that provincial workplace, safety and health legislation mandates that employers must offer a hearing screening and hearing loss prevention program in workplaces with noise over 80 decibels (about the level of a food blender or kitchen garbage disposal). The program calls for annual testing.

“The first time we test in a workplace sets up a baseline for employees,” Leah said.

“Then when we come back each year, we can compare a person’s hearing test results,” Mike added.

While they visit factories and manufacturing facilities, such as Exner E-Waste Processing in Elie, they also serve car dealerships and other businesses that might not come to mind as being noisy workplaces.

Leah said she recently measured the noise level in a care centre’s kitchen. They offer workplace sound assessments that create a map for employers to show them where within their property loud noise might require safety protection or changes to reduce the decibel level.

Simply erecting a noise barrier or switching to quieter-running equipment can make a big difference, Mike said.

The couple shows employees how to properly use and clean hearing protection devices. While foam ear plugs are readily available, they often don’t fit well and if worn daily, can cause soreness. Mike and Leah are able to take a mould of a person’s ear then make a customized device that fits well.

“We even talk about a person’s hobbies,” Mike said.

If someone enjoys riding a snowmobile in the winter, motorcycle in the summer, drums in a garage band, and hunts each fall, they could be experiencing significant hearing loss due to the noise their hobbies create.

Mike said that there is definitely a tough-guy attitude that has to be overcome in some instances, but in general people are getting smarter about the need to protect their precious sense of hearing.

“That’s why we’re so passionate about it,” Leah added.

For more information about Ross Hearing, see www.rosshearing.org