Thread: What hearing protection would you have done differently?

I have always used hearing protection. It's probably the only safety thing that I insist on. I used foam ear plugs for the first 13 years, and now when people say anything to me I have to reply "huh?". Now I only wear earmuffs which I find to be much better than earplugs.

I've always used disposable plugs at work (38 hour week, 100+ dB), muffs give me a headache from the pressure. After 9 years I'm still getting near perfect results on hearing tests.

Peltor H10B are my favourites.

Product Catalog 3Mâ„¢ PELTORâ„¢ Optimeâ„¢ 105 Behind-the-Head Earmuffs H10B 10 EA/Case : Electrical Commercial and Industrial: 3M US

Yep. Peltor H10B 105's are the ONLY way to go.

I just had two guys here who work in an industrial noise factory and they saw my Peltors lying around (Ive several). They said they use them there too

They do take a little getting used to. They grip your head hard and are so quiet you hear your own breathing and heartbeat. Your head can get hot, but you get used to it quickly.

In the 60's and 70's in Cement products factories and on building sites using pneumatic jack hammers we had nothing.
Rock concerts, sitting right in in front of the speakers banks so your insides felt queasy, nothing.
DIY gear, nothing
By the time I was 40 I had lost hearing at all frequencies and more at particular frequencies in one ear si that I could gave been just declared legally deaf, other ear was close behind.

This made me look into hearing protection in some detail and I started wearing muffs, and when I started using a chainsaw mill it was Peltor H10's (plus earplugs) not I have 4 sets, 2 in the shed, one at the mens shed and one in the van with the chainsaw gear.
I also deliberately avoided noisy environments and stopped going to noisy public places.
I started doing a lot of air travel and have gone through 4 sets of noise cancelling muffs - I have even worn my H10s on planes.

When I was recently tested, my hearing had deteriorated slightly since I was 40 but not as much as my peers so that I was about average for my age.
This means even though I was using very noisy machinery everyone else's age related hearing loss has progressed more than mine had.
It just goes to show what good earmuffs can do.

I regularly test noise sources with a mobile sound pressure app and at the mens shed I wave the readings if they are too high in front of members faces if they are not wearing hearing protection.

Drop by really noisy industrial shops. Ask what they need to use.
Many have minimum safety requirements for hearing protection that they must wear.
Don't guess at this. That's arrogant and stupid.

The years go by and you find that it's a little issue with volume, it's a little issue with frequency.
They get worse.
Then you learn that you also have aural cognitive disfunction = you can't comprehend normal speech.
no more visiting, no more meetings, little public contact.
The world closes in to just a few people with no background noise to figure out maybe 50% of the conversation.

Never whine about the fit and finish. When you cannot talk to your grandchildren any more, we'll discuss it.

Having spent years in factories, my hearing has suffered.

Consequently, when working in any noisy environment I use foam ear plugs and Peltor H10B at the same time.

Using both together really does make a difference!

I bought a new pair of earmuffs, Peltors (but I don't know what model)yesterday for work and they are fantastic. Although less comfy, earmuffs are the way to go. My thinking is just go for the ones that block out the most noise, looking after your hearing is just as important as looking after your eyes.

Thanks for the reminder about the Peltors Cliff - been meaning to get a pair to add to the stable. Picked them up on eBay for $48.50:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/2614...pid=107&chn=ps

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Yep. Peltor H10B 105's are the ONLY way to go.

I just had two guys here who work in an industrial noise factory and they saw my Peltors lying around (Ive several). They said they use them there too

They do take a little getting used to. They grip your head hard and are so quiet you hear your own breathing and heartbeat. Your head can get hot, but you get used to it quickly.

I use them sometimes, but they want to set my ears on fire and shove my safety glasses through my temples so I can't wear them for long

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

I use them sometimes, but they want to set my ears on fire and shove my safety glasses through my temples so I can't wear them for long

Nice in the winter, terrible right at the moment....

I don't know if there's a difference in attenuation between sudden impact sounds (gunshots) and long term loud sound (machinery.)
Question: Is there a difference? Anybody know how the muffs & plugs actually perform?

I wear the earmuff style with about another cm of foam disks in each cup.
Originally designed for and used for International Handgun Metallic Silhouette target shooting.
I shot in the Unlimited Class, a single shot bolt action pistol with full length 7mm/.308 loads.
The muzzle blast was extraordinary, enough to chase away spectators.

These days, they are really nice when running wood shop power tools, even for a few rounds of trap shooting.
Very quiet and I can concentrate on the precision of the cut or ignore the ShopVac 60cm from my head.
I can detect conversation but as I said above, I don't comprehend much of it.

Hearing damage is directly related to exposure to sound pressure and the duration of exposure. Low(er) pressure long duration exposures can be as harmful as excessive pressure short duration exposures.

I have constant tinnitus most likely caused from enjoying range practice as a Naval Cadet in the 1970's helping out HMAS Cairns to use up their allocation of 7.62mm ammo, though I was also exposed to sounds on my fathers construction sites from an early age.

The one thing I would do differently - I don't have any answers because I followed the best advice available at the time. Our knowledge of risks and harm caused from exposures has improved and so has the technology in the PPE and equipment. If anything I would advise choosing the best protection you can afford, follow "best practice," learn how to identify potential hazards, manage risk and exposure, and choose machinery / tools that minimise exposure to "high" sound levels. Sometimes new is not necessarily better when it comes to tools & machinery.

Also don't forget that even though you have good hearing protection you may be exposing your family and neighbours to excessive noise levels.

Hearing protection is a matter of personal preference. I have worn some form of hearing protection now for almost forty years. In the early days I only ever wore ear muffs. Nowadays I use foam style ear plugs at work and at home I either use ear muffs or plugs.

Bear in mind these two types are my preference in an environment where if I want them our company will provide fitted hard plastic plugs, which are quite expensive at $150+. They don't suit me.

My work environment is frequently noisy sometimes with double hearing protection being mandated (plugs and ear muffs). At home the woodworking gear and the likes of chainsaws are the source of noise there.

At home I use ear muffs for times when I will only be making noise for a short time such as a quick cut with the SCMS. For protracted use I will normally turn to ear plugs. Incidentally the ear plugs can be washed and reused, but only about 50% of the time. They clean up well but sometimes they will no longer squeeze down when rolled to fit into your ear. I usually just leave them in my work trousers and they go through the washing machine. Then you have to let them dry out. I have containers full of these plugs around the place so there is never an excuse not to use them.

Don't skimp on ear muffs. It is one of those things that if you fork out good money you will get value. I have not gone into comparisons deeply but I do have a cheap pair that came for free with some product or other. They are only marginally better than wearing nothing (on your ears). My hearing despite all the exposure to loud noise is good. However my wife, who has not been exposed to loud noise other than her own shouts at the children in times gone by, has poor hearing! I should add that she has her own ear muffs for use with the brush cutter, hedge trimmer and mower.

BobL struck a chord (literally) when he spoke of music. I attended a while back a concert where my son's band was playing. Another act produced the loudest continuous noise I think I have ever heard. I was thoroughly ill prepared that night. I doubt I will go to such a concert again, but if I did I would take double ear protection. I should have guessed what was coming when I observed a local journalist covering the concert inserting his own ear plugs.

Regards
Paul