How To Choose The Right Hearing Protection?

We live in a noisy world. Some noise can damage our hearing, causing hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and communication difficulties. Unfortunately, permanent noise-induced hearing damage is incurable. If you can't get rid of noise, hearing protection is your only option. But how do you know which hearing protection is best for you?

Know how much noise reduction you need

Obviously, the primary consideration in choosing hearing protection is whether it will block out enough noise to reduce it to a safe level. The good news is that most industrial noise exposures are below 95 dBA, which means that most workers need no more than 10 dB of noise reduction to meet the NIOSH recommended exposure limit of 85 dBA. Almost all hearing protectors will provide 10 dB of noise reduction when worn properly. If you don't know the noise levels in your workplace, you can measure them using an application such as the NIOSH Sound Level Meter.

Judging by the workplace

The noise reduction rating on the hearing protector package represents the amount of noise blocked by the hearing protector during lab testing, but workers typically experience much lower noise reduction on the job. The best way to find out how much noise reduction you get from your hearing protectors is through fit testing. If fit testing is not possible at your workplace, you can check the fit of your earplugs by counting out loud while slowly placing your hands over your ears or pulling them out; if you are in good condition, you should sound approximately the same as if you were covering and pulling out your ears.

If you are exposed to noise levels of 100 dBA or higher (such as a chain saw or the handheld drill) or if you are exposed to pulsing sounds (such as a nail gun or weapon noise), you should wear dual hearing protection (earmuffs over earplugs).

Compatibility with other safety equipment

When choosing the right hearing protection, you also need to consider workplace characteristics that go beyond the noise level. For example, do you have to wear other head-level personal protective equipment (PPE), such as goggles, helmets, or respirators? Goggles (and even some glasses) can interfere with the seal of the earmuffs around the ears, allowing sound to leak into the ears. Earmuffs can interfere with the wearing of a helmet or headgear; some earmuffs come with a "low-profile" headband or are designed to fit directly over the helmet or headgear, eliminating this problem. Make sure your hearing protection is compatible with the other safety equipment you use on the job.

Don't overprotect

Noisy environments require a higher level of noise reduction, but be careful to reduce too much sound. Just as too little light makes it difficult to see light, too little sound can make you feel isolated and less aware of your surroundings. Overprotection can be counterproductive, as you may feel you need to remove your hearing protection to hear someone talking or listening to your device. Aim to reduce noise enough to reduce your exposure to 75-85 dBA.

We are a hearing protection supplier, please feel free to contact us if you need them.