Western Australian company Sensear set to revolutionise noisy work environments

Sensear has developed a world-first technology that can differentiate between speech and background noise. This has allowed the development of earmuffs and plugs that can protect the wearer's ears in noisy workplaces, but still allow them to hear their workmates talk without removing them.

Noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common occupational hazards. In 2006, Access Economics published a report which stated that noise-induced hearing loss cost Australia in excess of $4 billion in 2005.

Sensear recently won two innovation awards from the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), the Australian Financial Review and the CSIRO. They were the only company to win two iAwards, taking first place in the R&D and healthcare categories.

Sensear will launch its products globally at two of the world's largest safety trade expos: the A&A held in Dusseldorf in September and the National Safety Congress held in Chicago in October.