EAR & EYE PROTECTION APPROACH Innovation in PPE technology is


offering more targeted means that ever before to optimise hearing protection, says Bob Ghent of the


Honeywell Howard Leight Acoustical Testing Laboratory.


Around 17,000 people in the UK suffer deafness, ringing in the ears or other auditory conditions caused by excessive workplace noise. Fortunately, there are strict controls designed to protect against this; for example, employers are legally required to provide hearing protection if noise levels reach 85dBA.


Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, which are designed to ensure that people do not suffer hearing damage, mandate a range of steps and measures, including limiting noise risks and noise exposure. These are applicable to everyone; age is no barrier when it comes to suffering noise-related hearing loss. Someone in their mid-twenties can have their hearing reduced to a level expected in a 65-year-old by excessive noise, and once ears have been damaged there is no cure.


However, selecting the most appropriate hearing protection devices (HPDs) is not always straightforward. A widespread challenge faced by safety managers is knowing how much protection their employees actually obtain from their ear defenders. While the Single-Number Rating (SNR) is an estimate of hearing protection performance as measured under optimum laboratory conditions, the attenuation realised by individuals in the field varies – and often falls well below the stated protection rating.


QUIET BY DESIGN Safety managers need to understand how much protection their employees actually achieve with their earplugs and if they’re even using them correctly to achieve the proper attenuation. The reality is that poor practice may only become apparent following an ear test, by which time irreversible damage could have occurred. Fortunately, new technologies are making it possible to get a clear picture of an individual’s actual level of hearing protection before they walk into the workplace.


Rather than relying on an earplug’s stated SNR, fit testing provides insight into the HPD’s attenuation as achieved by an individual. Importantly, fit testing is quick and easy


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and can be conducted as often as needed: before an employee begins work, during regular audiograms or as part of ongoing worker training.


In-ear exposure monitoring takes hearing loss prevention a step further. By placing a microphone into the ear canal, under the earplug, it is possible to check protection levels in real time around the workplace. This can produce invaluable real-time data that takes the guesswork out of calculating an employee’s personal noise exposure.


Armed with this sort of data, safety managers can determine whether the worker’s hearing is protected at an appropriate level for the attendant noise hazards and, if not, implement steps to improve it. This could include additional training on how to achieve a proper fit for earplugs, along with trying different styles and sizes for personal comfort and attenuation. Importantly, this proactive approach focuses on preventing hearing loss rather than measuring whether any has already occurred after the fact.


LISTEN AND LEARN The ideal hearing protector should offer the user two things – comfort and performance. This combination can help ensure its correct use, consequently providing the target level of noise abatement. For this reason, safety managers should make sure that various styles and sizes of earplugs are available. Used in combination with regular monitoring of sound exposure, fit testing and training, this will help guarantee the best possible defence against avoidable hearing damage.


The most efficient and effective way of controlling noise is through engineering and administrative controls such as reducing machinery vibration and time spent in noisy areas. However, where this isn’t possible employers needs to provide their staff with a suitable range of effective hearing protectors, so they can choose those that suit them.


www.honeywell.com www.tomorrowshs.com SOUND


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