Safe-in-Sound Awards Recognize ExxonMobil, Defense Health Agency Group
The winners of the 2026 Safe-in-Sound Awards were formally recognized on Feb. 6 during the National Hearing Conservation Association’s annual conference. The awards, which recognize effectiveness in hearing loss prevention practices, are given in two categories. The ExxonMobil Corporation is the recipient of this year’s Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award. The Auditory Studies Investigation Group at the National Military Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, which is a part of the Defense Health Agency, is the winner of the Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention Award. AIHA recently joined NHCA, NIOSH, and the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation in a partnership to administer the annual awards.
The Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award recognizes ExxonMobil’s hearing conservation program, which spans more than 60 countries and “plays a major role in reducing risk,” according to the awards announcement. The company’s program employs strategies such as targeted risk management, inclusive prevention criteria, and “Buy-Quiet” policies and practices, which involve replacing or purchasing equipment that generates less noise.
The Auditory Studies Investigation Group at the National Military Audiology and Speech Pathology Center “has made a real difference in how the military approaches hearing conservation and readiness,” the Safe-in-Sound Awards announcement states. The group’s efforts have made annual hearing tests possible, accurate, and efficient for service members in challenging, remote locations. The approach pairs a boothless audiometry system with personalized training, feedback, and fit testing of hearing protection devices. This “data-driven framework for prioritizing hearing loss prevention across the [department]” are what earned them the Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention Award.
More information about the Safe-in-Sound Awards, including instructions for submitting nominations, is available on the NHCA website.