Ear Plugs – Make The Right Choice
People who work in high noise areas, like airports, rigs, factories and around loud music, are more susceptible to hearing loss, or tinnitus (constant ringing in the ear). The best earplugs have a high noise-reduction rating (NRR) and are typically made of silicon or some type of foam. Earplugs can definitely help mitigate increased noise. The louder the noise, the shorter the exposure time before hearing protection is required.
OSHA states that employee exposure to excessive noise depends upon a number of factors, including:
- The loudness of the noise as measured in decibels (dB)
- The duration of each employee’s exposure to the noise
- Whether employees move between work areas with different noise levels
Whether noise is generated from one or multiple sources
According to OSHA, employees may be exposed to a noise level of 90 dB for eight hours per day before hearing protection is required.
There are a number of factors that you should consider before you opt for an earplug:
- Comfort – You will be wearing your earplugs for most of the day.
- Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) – The higher the NRR rating, the more the noise is reduced.
- Area of Use – Your choice of a hearing protection device depends on your job site conditions.
- Ability to Communicate – Apart from effective hearing protection, it should grant the ability to communicate with people face to face and on two way radios effectively.
- Speech Enhancement – It should allow for communication in noisy environments, especially for persons suffering from hearing loss. There should be neither a communication issue nor a feeling of isolation.
- Situational Awareness – Earplugs lower background noise to a safe level, enabling users to maintain situational awareness and identify the direction of speech, which is critical for safety.
With noise induced hearing Loss (NIHL) now rated as the world’s largest occupational illness by the World health Organization (WHO), these hearing protection devices are a win – win situation for employees and employers working in high noise areas. Earplugs are helping workers to safely communicate at high noise sites without affecting their well being and productivity.
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