GeRTI – Atlanta, GA

Builders: Georgia Local Section – American Industrial Hygiene Association members in partnership with the Georgia Youth Alliance and Georgia Tech Research Institute.

To help prevent hearing loss and promote healthy hearing, the Georgia Local Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (GLS-AIHA) partnered with the Georgia Youth Alliance and the Georgia Tech Research Institute to build “GeRTI”, modeled after Jolene, the original Dangerous Decibels mannequin. GeRTI made her debut at the 2010 Construction Education Foundation of Georgia Career Expo and State SkillsUSA competition in March 2010. Thousands of students, mostly high schoolers interested in pursuing construction careers, passed through the World of Safety and Health and took advantage of the opportunity to learn just how loud they were listening to music. Shown in the photo along with GeRTI is Jenny Houlroyd, MSPH (industrial hygienist with GTRI’s OSHA Consultation Program, and co-founder of Start Safe, The Center for Young Worker Safety and Health at GTRI), explaining the significance of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. Most of the sound levels measured were above 90 dBA, frequently above 100 dBA, and even exceeded 115 dBA in some cases. Many students were surprised to learn that their music was that loud. Since the CEFGA Expo, GeRTI has traveled around the state of Georgia visiting high schools to educate students and their teachers about the importance of healthy hearing.

© Lori Grice Photography