Geneva, Switzerland, 6 June 2016
Introduction
The International Telecommunication Union organized a workshop on "Standards for Safe Listening" at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on 6 June 2016.
The workshop took place between the meetings of (i)
ITU-T Study Group 16 from 23 May to 3 June 2016 and of (ii)
ITU-T Study Group 12 from 7 to 16 June 2016.
All Joint ITU/WHO Safe Listening Workshops
Objectives
About 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of developing hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices and exposure to damaging levels of sound in noisy entertainment venues. This hearing loss develops silently and it is not difficult to avoid.
The workshop was a follow up activity of
WHO-ITU Consultations on Safe Listening Devices held in October 2015 and discussions in ITU-T Study Group 16 to create an integrative international standard providing guidelines for safe listening devices.
This workshop reviewed the state of technical standardizations for safe listening when using personal music players (and associated hearing devices). It also reviewed where standardization work is being done and how it has been adopted; discussed technical approaches being taken; exchanged ideas on how groups can better collaborate and exchange information; identified gaps, if any; and discussed a way forward. It allowed coordination of the ITU work of SG12 and SG16 with external organizations working on standards for safe listening, in particular CENELEC TC 108X, IEC TC108 and ISO TC 43.
Target Audience
The target audience for this event were experts participating in the work on safe listening of WHO, ITU-T SG12, ITU-T SG16, IEC TC108, CENELEC TC108X, ISO TC 43 and all other interested parties.
