Noise exposure expert Dennis P. Driscoll, P.E. will be recognized for his contributions to noise control and hearing conservation at the AIHA Fall Conference, being held September 28 through October 2 in Miami, Fla. Driscoll will be named the 2013 recipient of the Henry F. Smyth, Jr. Award, an honor bestowed annually by the Academy of Industrial Hygiene (AIH) on an industrial hygienist who has recognized the needs of the IH profession and contributed to the improvement of the public’s welfare.
Driscoll, who earned a master’s degree in engineering from North Carolina State University, currently serves as president and principal consultant of Associates in Acoustics, Inc., in Evergreen, Colorado.
During his 33-year career, Driscoll focused on preventing hearing loss by creating numerous electronic tools, references and calculators designed to make industrial hygienists and engineers find the most cost-effective and sustainable solutions to prevent hearing loss.
Teaching and coaching
“Dennis’ passion for teaching and learning has been a hallmark of his success in helping industrial hygienists and engineers do a better job in reducing noise exposures and protecting people,” said S. Zack Mansdorf, PhD, CIH, CSP, QEP, president of AIH, which sponsors the AIHA Fall Conference. “He has coached hundreds of IH professionals through specific noise control projects and created many valuable tools to help engineers find the best noise control solutions. He is a pioneer in the field and an outstanding occupational health professional who is extremely deserving of the Smyth Award.”
In addition to his daily responsibilities directing the business administration of his company, Driscoll teaches noise control and hearing conservation training seminars that customized to meet the needs of the attendees. He has developed several top-ranked professional development courses (PDCs) offered each year at occupational health and safety conferences around the world. His PDC has been consistently ranked as a “Top 10” course since 2005 at AIHce.
Association and committee work
Driscoll, a registered professional engineer and board certified noise control engineer, is past president of the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), a fellow member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA), and past chair of the AIHA Noise Committee. He recently completed a five-year term as council member of the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC).
Driscoll is also one of the editors and lead author of Chapters 9 and 15, “Noise Control Engineering,” and “Community Noise,” in The Noise Manual, 5th Edition, by AIHA Press.
The Henry F. Smyth, Jr. Award was dedicated by AIH, formerly known as the American Academy of Industrial Hygiene Council, in 1981, in honor of the late teacher and researcher who recognized the need for sharing ideas and communicating his achievements with his students and peers through publications and presentations.
