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If you work in the construction industry, you will need to use personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure you do not damage your hearing. Unfortunately, the risk of hearing damage due to excessive noise exposure is not just limited to those in the construction industry.

Many manufacturing, maintenance and transportation roles can have prolonged periods of excessive sound exposure. Our range of hearing protectors can help protect the hearing of yourself or your employees, ensuring that they do not need hearing aids in later life unnecessarily.

We stock many common types of hearing protection devices, from over-ear “ear defenders” to in-ear “ear plugs”. These can help your workforce protect their hearing when and where protection is required.

Hearing damage is unique in that it can occur from a one-off exposure to a loud event or exposure to louder-than-average environments over a period of years. Effects can be instantaneous or show up much later in life, with symptoms ranging from tinnitus to complete deafness.

For this reason, you will find operators using hearing protection in many environments. Some of the most common places and industries you will discover Hearing related PPE are as follows;

Construction

Using power tools such as saws and drills over many years can cause later-in-life issues.

Demolition

Whether explosives or a sledgehammer are being used, both can generate uncomfortable noise levels.

Manufacturing

Milling machinery and other processing equipment can expose operators to sound levels far above what is safe.

Airports

A jet engine is often used as the benchmark for a very loud event; employees working on the tarmac apron, therefore, require high levels of protection.

Sporting Events

Large crowds can collectively produce levels of noise that can damage the hearing of staff members exposed frequently.

Music Venues & Festivals

Security staff exposed to many concerts will need to wear hearing protection to prevent long-term hearing damage.

Marine

When working in the engine room of a large ship, workers often carry out maintenance whilst loud equipment such as pumps and air ventilators are running.

Mining & Quarrying

Equipment operators work with the constant hum of a diesel engine right behind them; they are also exposed to other equipment, such as drills, that cause excessive noise.

Several types of ear protection PPE are available on the market; each has its benefits and disadvantages. We stock all types allowing you to make an informed choice when choosing your hearing protection.

What level of noise requires hearing protection?

Due to the nature of hearing damage, it is not as simple as stating, “if the environment you work in is louder than “x” dBa, then you must wear hearing protection”. This is because hearing damage can be a cumulative issue, and even a relatively quiet environment can damage your hearing if you are exposed to it over a long period of time.

Similarly, a quiet environment with the possibility of a sudden and abrupt loud noise like an explosion or steel sheeting being stamped would require hearing protection.

The HSE website has excellent resources for calculating noise exposure which you can find at the following link The HSE website has excellent resources for calculating noise exposure which you can find at the following link https://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/calculator.htm.

A quick way to determine if hearing protection should be considered in your role on site;

• Is there intrusive noise - A constant sound such as a vacuum cleaner, a crowded echoing restaurant, or a busy street?
• Do you have to raise your voice to speak to someone who is 2m away from you?
• Do you use any power tools that make noise, such as hammer drills, electric saws or grinders?
• Do you work around machinery that makes a constant noise, such as large fan units, milling machines, forging or stamping machines?
• Are there any loud noises caused by hammering or concussive impacts such as drop forging, pneumatic tools, blasting, stamping, or piling where you work?
• Do you ever finish a work shift and feel that your hearing is muffled or not as sharp as usual?

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, you should immediately see what noise control measures are surveyed and put in place.

What SNR Rating Do I Need?

Irrespective of which type of hearing protection you decide to purchase, the most important thing is that it offers adequate protection. Unusually with hearing protection, it is possible to over-protect, leaving the wearer unable to hear hazards around them, such as reversing beepers.

The aim of wearing hearing protection is to reduce the noise levels you are exposed to down to at least 85dB without going below 70dB, where overprotection and isolation can occur.

There is plenty of information about calculating the appropriate SNR rating on the HSE website here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/hearingprotection.htm.