Ear defenders, sometimes referred to as earmuffs, are a type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed to protect your ears from loud noises. Exposure to extreme noises can cause permanent damage to your ears, in the form of tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ears), or loss of hearing altogether. It is important that you choose the right hearing protection, so we have put together this buyer’s guide to hearing protection for you.
Traditionally, ear defenders have a head-band which is made from a hard thermoplastic, sometimes with metal, and the ear protection part is made from acoustic foam. This foam helps to absorb sound waves by increasing resistance between the waves and the air. Therefore, the amplitude of the waves is reduced and less sound is transmitted. Attenuation is the process where a sound wave weakens as it moves through a material. By wearing earplugs at the same time as ear defenders, you can increase the attenuation.
Ear defenders are a good choice where noise isn’t a constant hazard, as after long periods of use they can become uncomfortable. They are also easy to take off and on, which makes them a great versatile product for hearing protection.
In the workplace, earplugs are used to protect the ears from excessive noise, but they also have additional functions. As earplugs sit directly within the ear canal, they can also protect your ears from the intrusion of water, foreign bodies and dust particles. They tend to offer greater levels of ear protection too as they sit within the ear itself, and their small size means they are easier to wear with other types of PPE including safety eyewear.
There are many different types of earplugs - from disposable earplugs to corded earplugs and detectable earplugs which are washable and reusable, making them the perfect choice if you need to regularly wear earplugs.
Legally, it is an employer’s responsibility to assess the level of noise employees are likely to be exposed to within the workplace, and put suitable measures in place to protect their hearing. After a potential noise hazard has been identified, controls must be implemented to reduce exposure to the noise. These controls can take place in the form of choosing quieter equipment, the introduction of silencers, or moving employee work stations further away from the high noise area.
However, hazardous noise may not always be able to be completely eliminated, which is where the importance of providing hearing protection comes in. 85 decibels is the level at which employers must provide hearing protection to their staff. This is either a daily or weekly average exposure. At 80 decibels, employers must assess the risk to the health of their staff, and provide them with information and training on hearing protection. There is also an upper limit of 87 decibels (which must take into account any reduction provided by hearing protection), above which employees must not be exposed to.
We have already briefly touched on attenuation, but there are many other acronyms and abbreviations in the world of hearing protection which can make things quite confusing. It is important that you understand what they all mean, so that you can make an educated decision when it comes to choosing the right hearing protection for your needs.
SNR is one that you will come across a lot. SNR is short for Single Number Rating system, and is a value used to compare the level of attenuation that different types of hearing protection offer. In general, the higher the SNR, the higher the level of noise attenuation provided, so the better protected your ears will be.
Decibels (dBs) are another unit that you will see associated with hearing protection. They are used to measure the intensity of the sound, and any noise that reaches over 85dB is likely to cause damage to your hearing. If you are unsure as to the level of hearing protection that you need in your workplace, the HSE have put together a useful hearing protection calculator.
Every person will have different requirements when it comes to choosing the right ear protection, as it is important to not only get the right protection, but comfort and fit is also essential.
There are several different ways to choose the right ear protection. You can look at the frequency and pitch of the particular noise hazard you are working with, you can choose ear protection depending on the industry you work within, and you can choose ear protection based on a risk assessment that has been carried out. The most important thing to remember is that you should purchase safety equipment that is CE marked and has EN certification to show that they conform with the latest safety regulations.
Both the pads on ear defenders and the earpods on some banded models can be replaced, which means that safety ear protection can last for a very long time. How regularly these parts need to be replaced mainly depends on the amount of use they undergo, but it is always best to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. The main things to look out for are:
When choosing the right hearing protection for your workforce, there are many things that you need to take into consideration. We hope this buyer's guide to hearing protection has been useful for you, and if you have any further questions on safety protection and PPE please get in touch with BETAFIT today, call us on 08455 444 000, email us at sales@betafit.com or fill out our online contact form.
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