HEALTH & SAFETY FEATURE TAKING NOISE PROTECTION TO NEXT LEVEL
Eighty percent of workers in noisy environments at The Royal Mint are now fitted with bespoke earplugs to protect their hearing. Minerva Hearing has been individually fitting 280 workers with custom-made WorkPlugs which are made to fit each individual’s exact ear canals, creating a secure seal against damaging noise. Noise levels at The Royal Mint can reach up to 90 decibels which can cause hearing loss and tinnitus if people are exposed for long periods of time without the right protection. Minerva Hearing’s specially designed plugs contain acoustic filters that reduce damaging high frequencies but allow speech to be heard as normal so they do not compromise safety in the workplace. “The Royal Mint is right to be taking the safety of their workers so seriously,” says leading audiometrist Kevin Davies. “Exposure to noise over 85 decibels over long periods of time can cause irreversible hearing problems. Some ear plugs can leave you feeling isolated as they simply muffle all noise. Staff at The Royal Mint need to be able to hear each other and be aware of everything happening around them but still need protection from the constant noise.” “We’ve tried lots of different ear defenders over the years but the Minerva
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FREE GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE EARPLUG SELECTION
WorkPlugs are by far the most comfortable, most hygienic and offer the best level of protection,” says Kate Fitzpatrick. “As they are custom-made for each worker they fit exactly, leaving no room for operator error so that we can be confident that everyone is completely protected. The Minerva Hearing team visit regularly and we get a fast, friendly service. Their experts advise us on exactly the right level of protection needed and created the most comfortable, soft plugs for our team.”
Minerva Hearing T: 0844 822 6352
www.minerva-hearingprotection.co.uk
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Staff need to be able to hear each other and be aware of everything happening around them while being protected from the constant noise
Honeywell has introduced a free comprehensive guide to the selection, fitting and usage of industrial earplugs. Fix-A-Fit will help anyone responsible for safeguarding workers’ hearing against noise-induced hearing loss. “It is surprising how many employers still believe that making two or three types of large earplugs available in different colours constitutes offering a variety of solutions,” says Brad Witt, director of hearing conservation at Honeywell Safety Products. “One size does not fit all and failure to ensure a proper fit will not only give the user a false sense of security but seriously compromise low-frequency protection. This could leave them with potentially zero overall protection and therefore exposed to damaging noise levels.” The guide includes a sizing chart and
recommendations for the range of earplug sizes and styles needed. Developed from research to identify the most common earplug fitting problems, the guide provides advice on proper sizing and fitting techniques and information about identifying and addressing the issues surrounding insufficient protection and eliminating earplug discomfort.
www.hwll.co/Fix-A-Fit-UK
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