Daniel L. Johnson
EG&G Management Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 9100, Albuquerque, NM 87119-9100
Some of the data that are used in the current ISO standard on noise-induced hearing loss are over 30-yr old. In addition, the ability to measure noise exposure has improved significantly. This factor, as well as other assumptions, will be discussed with an attempt to indicate how they affect the accuracy of the predictive model. A review of some recent studies will be used to illustrate that the predictions of ISO-1999 do not seem out of line. Because of the impact of hearing conservation programs, more definitive future studies are not likely to be available. The current version of ISO-1999 appears to be a reasonable model and should retain its validity for the future. [Work supported by U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command, under Contract DAMD17-88-C-8141.]