Airmen Obtain Better Access to AFRL-Developed Hearing Protection

  • Published
  • By Human Effectiveness Directorate
  • AFRL/RH
AFRL developed a unique hearing protection and communications system known as the Attenuating Custom Communications Earpiece System, or ACCES®, under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Westone Laboratories, Inc. The innovative technology improves hearing protection and communications not only for military maintainers and pilots, but for industrial workers such as construction crews, heavy equipment operators, and commercial air and ground crews. Air Combat Command (ACC) aircrew members now have better access to this high-tech, safer hearing protection device since the flight medicine office became responsible for creating custom ear impressions and performing initial fit and comfort testing of ACCES.

This formal support from ACC streamlines the process for aircrew who want to experience the superb noise reduction and clear radio communications ACCES offers crew members in the cockpit and maintainers on the ground. Before the policy change, Airmen who wanted ACCES had to find a qualified professional with the training to create impressions for the custom-molded earpieces. Often this meant contacting researchers at AFRL.

With hundreds of sets of this product already in the air, the Air Force (AF) needed trained medical professionals designated to meet the growing demand for custom-molded impressions of the flyers' ears. By integrating specialized electronics into custom-molded earpieces, ACCES allows wearers to experience clear audio communications, while protecting their ears from the damaging noise common in aerospace environments.

ACCES has received the safe-to-fly approval necessary for use in AF fighter and bomber aircraft. The AF envisions that, over time, improved hearing protection will help minimize health care costs; since 1977, the Veterans Administration has spent more than $7 billion on the treatment of hearing loss.