By Roger Munn 12/07/2016

Under: PPE and Workwear

What you Need to Know About Hearing Protection

Aside from protecting your employees from a life-changing and often irreversible condition, taking hearing protection seriously can also save your business money. You'll be avoiding lost working days and potential legal costs from industrial hearing damage claims. You'll also ensure optimal output, as excessive noise can create stress for employees and reduce productivity.

Understanding legislation and limits

As an employer, the law requires you assess the risk of noise exposure and implement measures to protect hearing. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 requires you to take specific action at certain values.

 - Lower exposure limit: 80 dB
At this level you are required to provide employees with suitable training and hearing protection should they ask for it.

 - Upper exposure limit: 85 dB
At this level you must provide appropriate ear protection and ensure it is used correctly. A comprehensive risk assessment using a digital sound level meter to check dB levels should be carrid out to measure sound levels on site, identify who is at risk and decide what action should be taken.

The first course of action in a hearing protection strategy should be to limit sounds at source by locating machinery in less prominent areas and using sound barrier systems. However, in industrial settings, reducing sound at source to legal levels is not always possible. In these situations, ear defenders must be worn.

Types of ear defenders

Ear Plugs

Inserted into the ear to block the ear canal, ear plugs tend to offer higher protection than ear muffs. Disposable foam plugs are low pressure and excellent value (protection for as little as 7p per pair) and you won't need to worry about keeping an eye on equipment becoming damaged through overuse. Pre-moulded, reusable ear plugs are also available in corded or head band varieties.

When used correctly, ear plugs offer reliable protection, however care should be taken to ensure employees are trained to fit them correctly.

Ear muffs

These come in a variety of styles and consist of sound-attenuating material and soft ear cushions that fit around the ear and hard outer cups. They are easy to fit and offer consistent protection. Ear muffs are usually held together by a headband or are available in clip on or neckband varieties for use with a hard hat. Ear muffs cover the ear rather than block the ear canal, so tend to offer less protection than ear plugs, however they are quick and easy to use and can be more practical for intermittent use.

Understanding SNR

A Single Number Rating (SNR) system is used to measure the noise reduction offered by ear defenders. The higher the SNR, the higher the level of noise attenuation provided by the hearing protection.

To determine acoustic pressure on your ears, you subtract the SNR value from the average noise level measured. You are looking to reduce the dB level below the legal limit of 85 dB. Levels should not be reduced below 70 dB as this could create a hearing impairment that would create its own safety risk.

Example

You have a piece of machiney that measures an average of 105 dB. Ear protection with an SNR of 27 (such as our best value ear muffs) would reduce the acoustic pressure to 105-27=78dB, now within the legal limit.

Best practices

• Use appropriate signage to remind employees when hearing protection is necessary.
• Ensure staff are trained in proper use of ear defenders and encourage two way communication - listen to employees concerns and address them as quickly as possible.
• Check equipment regularly to ensure hearing protection is in top condition. Damaged ear defenders may have reduced protection and should be replaced immediately.
• Provide employees with a suitable range of effective ear defenders so they can choose ones that suit them best. Employees may find certain types more comfortable or practical depending on personal preference , weather conditions, task at hand and whether other PPE is being worn.

Discover our full range of ear defenders.