Thread: Active noise suppression muffs?

A most interesting and informative thread and I would like to pick up on the theme that some of you have already suggested. It is that you have to be comfortable with the hearing protection you wear. If is is uncomfortable, you won't wear it and it doesn't matter how good it is if it is lying on the bench while you are 300mm away from your screaming router!

Perhaps I can give a subjective assessment of some of the options. None of my comments can I back up with statistical data and my only qualification is having worn hearing in both industrial workplaces and domestic situations for more than thirty years. I have a 2% hearing loss, which I am led to believe is minimal for exposure to loud rotating machinery, chainsaws and woodworking machinery.

I currently have four sets of ear muffs at home and extensively also use the soft style ear plugs at home. At work I almost exclusively wear the foam ear plugs.

There are two other types of ear plugs that I know of: The softish plastic plugs that resemble the concentric rings of a high voltage insulator and custom fitted hard plastic plugs that are made to measure. My workplace persuaded me to have a set of the latter. I used them a couple of times and then never again.

These are what I habitually wear around noisy machinery:

Ear Protection 004.jpgEar Protection 002.jpg

The set on the right are Peltor and I used them at work when we had a horrendously loud steam leak (>240bar). We were required to wear ear muffs over the top of ear plugs. I also had to wear a safety helmet so this style of Peltor fits the head independently of the helmet. hey are pretty uncomfortable for any length of time. They rely on clamping pressure to stay on your head.

I felt as though my brains were going to be crushed. I can't afford to have that happen as I wasn't given sufficient in the first place.

The other two black sets are made by Howard Light. The T3 I use and I bought the L3 for SWMBO for when she uses the brush cutter of ride on mower. There is not much to chose between them, although when I tried hers on I realised that my ear muffs need new cushions as they have hardened with age. Both of these have the headband sitting on top of the head and far more comfortable to wear. However they become hot and sweaty in hot weather.

I prefer ear plugs. The ear plugs become a nuisance if you need to remove them constantly. My subjective take is that they are marginally better performers than the ear muffs, but not enough to chose them deliberately.

Ear plugs should be replaced frequently. At work, I may use three pairs per day. There is another disadvantage with plugs in that your hands may be dirty and the plugs need to be rolled up to be inserted into the ear. This is primarily the reason I use multiple sets per day.

The dirty plugs I leave in my work clothes and they go through the wash. They have to be left out to dry (they swell up when wet) and better than half the time they can be used again: Probably only by the original user. I tend not to offer them to visitors .

The red pair of ear muffs were a freebe with some machinery I bought. The manufacturer's name is on the side, but being unable to read chinese, I can't tell you who they are. They are absolutely useless.

Hearing damage is a cumulative problem and not to be ignored. By that I mean that being subjected to elevated noise for 10 minutes a day for six days is exactly the same as if you had endured that noise for an hour continuously.

Incidentally, the loudest noise event I have been subjected to in recent times, apart from the steam leak I mentioned previously, was at a concert our son took us to. The performer was Ash Grunwald. I should have twigged what was to come when I saw a journalist covering the show put some ear plugs in. I still shudder at the damage done that night!

Regards
Paul