Health Services

Army Hearing Program/Hearing Conservation

Mission:

  • The Fort Leonard Wood Hearing Program strives to prevent hearing loss and enhance communication for noise exposed personnel.
  • The program has four major elements: hearing readiness, clinical hearing services, operational hearing services, and hearing conservation.  
  • Good hearing is essential for a Soldier’s SURVIVABILITY and LETHATLITY in combat. Noise induced hearing loss, on the other hand, has significant negative personal, financial, and mission impact on our Soldiers, civilian employees, and the Army.

Services:

Walk-in. No appointment required. Hearing tests provided for Active Duty Service Members and designated Federal employees for purposes of completing Physical Health Assessments and updating MEDPROS (annual, pre/post-deployment, and physicals).
Downloads:
ST 4-02.501 Army Hearing Program

DA PAM 40-501 Army Hearing Program

FLW Regulation 40-7 Army Hearing Program

Sample Unit Hearing Program SOP

Sample Unit Hearing Program Command Emphasis Letter

Hearing protection devices:

  • Hearing protection devices are used when the equipment cannot be made quiet enough to be safe. These devices include earplugs, earmuffs and helmets, which defeat the noise threat at the operator level.
  • Make-shift protectors, such as cigarette filters, cotton, or bullet casings do NOT protect you and are not hygienic.
  • Earplugs need to be fitted by trained medical personnel. They are available in various types and sizes and come with a seating device, which is part of the carrying case.

Monitoring:

  • Monitoring Audiometry means annual hearing testing. When you report for this testing, an occupational hearing conservationist, who is a soldier or civilian who has been trained to perform hearing tests and evaluate the results, tests for any significant changes in your hearing. If there are changes in your hearing this may indicate hearing protection and engineering controls are not protecting you from the noise threat. This may also mean there are problems in your personal hearing conservation program or health reasons that your hearing has changed. If there is a significant change in your hearing, the hearing conservationist will refer you to the audiologist.

Education:

  • Hearing Conservation Education helps you understand the effects of noise on hearing; the right way to wear and maintain hearing protection; the necessity of using hearing protection both at work and off duty; and the purpose of the Army’s Hearing Conservation Program.

Enforcement:

  • Enforcement and Discipline may be necessary in the rare instances when someone chooses not to use his or her hearing protection. This is how unit leaders ensure your hearing safety.

Evaluations:

  • Program Evaluation is done at each program step, ensuring continuous attention to improving this critical program, which helps you hear the enemy and stay alive.

YOUR HEARING IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF YOUR MISSION

Monitoring audiometry means annual hearing testing. When you report for this testing, an occupational hearing conservationist, who is a soldier or civilian who has been trained to perform hearing tests and evaluate the results, tests for any significant changes in your hearing. If there are changes in your hearing this may indicate hearing protection and engineering controls are not protecting you from the noise threat. This may also mean there are problems in your personal hearing conservation program or health reasons that your hearing has changed. If there is a significant change in your hearing, the hearing conservationist will refer you to the audiologist.

Contact Us

Telephone Number(s)

Line 1: (573)596-9307

Hours

Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. , 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Clinic closed every third Thursday of the month from 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. for mandatory division training.

Location

Main Hospital, basement floor
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