Hearing Protection

 

Hearing protection comes in three styles

Earplugs...

·        - fit inside the ear canal

·       -  cut noise by as much as 30 decibels

·       -  may be disposable or reusable, custom-fitted or one-size-fits-all

·        - may be made of foam, silicone, rubber or plastic

·         -are comfortable in hot weather

·         -are inexpensive

but...

·         -may be hard to fit

 

Earmuffs

·        - cut noise by as much as 25 decibels

·        - are easy to put on and take off

·        - come in specialized forms for high-voltage work or for filtering out only hazardous noises

·        - may be worn with earplugs for extremely high noise levels

but...

·        - are bulky

·         -may be uncomfortable in hot weather

 

Canal caps

·        - are soft pads on a headband

·       -  seal the ear canal without actually entering it

·         -are comfortable, cool and light

but...

·       -  may not completely seal the ear canal

·       -  are less effective than earplugs or earmuffs

 

Never try to protect hearing with

·       -  stereo headphones

·       -  cotton wads

They don’t work!

Treat your hearing protection right…

·       -  Use the right protection for your workplace.

·       -  Use and maintain your hearing protection according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

·        - Use it whenever noise level is high—not just sometimes.