FAQ's

Choosing the Right Hearing Protection

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• Types of Hearing protection

  Easy prevention measures, including hearing protection, will avert permanent and debilitating hearing loss.

  Hearing loss due to industrial noise is one of the most widespread, yet preventable work place injuries. Continual exposure to noise from machinery, tools, traffic and general workplace activity can cause significant, irreversible hearing loss.

  Hearing loss has a dramatic impact on quality of life and may contribute to other safety problems, such as lack of awareness and reduced concentration. Correctly designed and fitted ear protection will keep industrial noise below harmful levels. The choice of the appropriate protection device for each job is also vitally important.

  Earmuffs	Suppress unwanted noise by completely covering the outer ear. Our styles come with a variety of features from adjustable headband to hard hat attachments to suit individual needs
  Disposable Earplugs	Made from PU foam and are designed to be compressed and then insterted into the ear canal, where they expand and seal against noise. These are economical, designed for single use and are supplied in corded and uncorded options.
  Reusable Earplugs	Pre-moulded from washable silicone to fit snugly. These are available in corded and uncorded options.
  Banded Earplugs	A convenient, easily inserted option for those who are constantly in and out of noisy areas.
  Metal Detectable Earplugs	These contain a metal tab in each plug and a metalised cord that can be detected if they accidently fall into processing lines.

Hearing FAQ's

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• What is a dB?
  dB stands for Decibel, the unit of sound level and noise exposure measurement.
• How do I know when hearing protection is required?
  Have a workplace noise assessment done. Exposure to noise levels between 85dB - 90dB and above can cause permanent hearing loss and therefore hearing protection is required.
• What is the "Safe Noise Threshold"?
  90dB (A) – at this level and above appropriate hearing protection MUST be worn.
• How can I protect my hearing at work?

  The best method of preventing occupational deafness is to reduce noise at the source by engineering methods. However, in certain workplace conditions, there is very little or nothing one can do to reduce noise at the source. In these workplaces, workers must wear hearing protection to reduce the amount of noise reaching the ears.

• What is Tinnitus?

  Tinnitus is when involuntary noises occur in the ear, such as ringing or hissing, and is often associated with hearing loss.

• When does noise become harmful to your hearing?

  Exposure to sounds greater than 85 dB may cause  hearing loss. General estimates of some work-related noises are listed in the chart below.

  

• How does hearing loss occur?
  Permanent loss of hearing is the result of nerve destruction or damage to the hair cells which transfer sound waves within the ear. Once these important parts of the hearing mechanism are damaged or destroyed, they can never be regenerated, resulting in slight to total, permanent hearing loss.
• How do I choose my hearing protection?

  The choice of hearing protection depends on a number of factors including level of noise, comfort, and the suitability of the hearing protection for both the worker and the environment. Most importantly, the hearing protection should provide the desired noise reduction.

  It is best, where protection must be used, to provide a choice of a number of different types of hearing protection. Each hearing protection device is given a class rating from 1 to 5 to show the level of noise reduction achieved.

  If the noise exposure is intermittent, ear muffs are more desirable, since it may be inconvenient to remove and reinsert earplugs.

• What should I know about the fit of my hearing protection?
  Follow manufacturers’ instructions. With ear plugs, for example, the ear should be pulled outward and upward with the opposite hand to enlarge and straighten the ear canal, and insert the plug with clean hands. Ensure the hearing protector tightly seals within the ear canal or against the side of the head. Hair and clothing should not be in the way.
• Can I "toughen up" my ears?
  No. If you think you have grown used to a loud noise, it probably has damaged your ears, and there is no treatment – no medicine, no surgery, not even a hearing aid – that completely restores your hearing once it is damaged by noise.
• What are the common problems of hearing protection?

  Studies have shown that one-half of the workers wearing hearing protectors receive one-half or less of the noise reduction potential of their protectors because these devices are not worn continuously while in noise or because they do not fit properly.

  A hearing protector that gives an average of 30 dB of noise reduction if worn continuously during an 8-hour work day becomes equivalent to only 9 dB of protection if taken off for one hour in the noise.

  This is because decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, and there is a 10-fold increase in noise energy for each 10 dB increase.