Allocating ear protectors to workers only means that the company has provided necessary protective measures to protect workers’ hearing, but does not mean that workers’ hearing has been protected. Regular audiometry must be used to verify its effectiveness. So, are earmuffs and ear protectors good?
Earmuffs and ear protectors are personal protective equipment that protects the human hearing from strong noise damage. It is an ear protector that can cover the entire auricle. The noise-proof earmuffs are composed of two round shell-shaped bodies connected by a bow frame, and sound-absorbing materials and sealing gaskets are attached to the shells, and the whole shape is like earphones. Suitable for environments with high noise, the sound attenuation can reach 10-30dB. It can be used alone or in combination with earplugs. Suitable for all ear types. It is easy to take off; but it has a sultry feeling after long use.
Note on choosing ear protectors:
1. Before selecting, a qualified occupational disease prevention agency should be entrusted to conduct a workplace noise assessment to determine the noise level and frequency characteristics of the noise.
2. Understand the sound reduction ability of the product and choose the appropriate ear protector. NRR is an indicator reflecting the ability of sound reduction. Assuming that the noise level of a workplace is 100dB and the NRR value of an ear protector is 20, it means that the wearer's noise exposure level is estimated to be reduced to 80dB after the ear protector is worn correctly .
3. Don't blindly choose ear protectors with the largest sound reduction ability. Excessive sound reduction ability may bring negative effects, such as hindering the wearer from listening to warning signals or talking and communicating with other people, increasing unnecessary costs.
4. The NRR value alone may not help the user to select the most suitable ear protector, and the sound attenuation ability of the ear protector at different audio frequencies should be considered at the same time.
5. If workers must often enter and exit the hearing protection zone, they can choose earplugs with straps, which are convenient for the wearer to put on or take off.
6. Generally speaking, the sound reduction ability of earmuffs is stronger than that of earplugs. However, wearing glasses will make some earmuffs not fit tightly and have gaps, which will affect the effect. In addition, if the earmuffs are clamped too tightly, the wearer will feel uncomfortable and unwilling to use it. Therefore, sometimes earplugs are also a good choice.
7. In the case that earmuffs must be worn to effectively isolate sound, as earmuffs may hinder other personal protective equipment such as safety helmets, an integrated helmet-type earmuff can be selected.
8. In a dusty working environment, you should choose disposable earplugs or replaceable soft cushion earmuffs.
