PPE & WORKWEAR
A SIMPLE GUIDE TO EAR PROTECTION
3M Technical Specialist Simon Field outlines the science-based
technology company’s four-step approach to protecting employees against hazardous noise levels.
Around 20,000 people in the UK suffer from deafness, tinnitus or other ear conditions as a result of exposure to loud noise at work, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Many of these conditions are incurable, yet entirely preventable. Furthermore, they can lead to other associated health problems, such as insomnia. For these reasons, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to eliminate or reduce hazardous noise risks. To help them, 3M has devised a four-step approach to keeping workers safe from hearing damage, involving detection, protection, training and validation.
DETECTION The first step to protecting workers’ hearing is to carry out a workplace assessment to determine whether or not there is a problem with hazardous noise to begin with. Generally, if employees need to raise their voices to speak to one another, or the noise is otherwise intrusive, it is likely that sound levels are too high. In areas where this is the case, accurate noise measurements should be taken, either by a competent person in house, or by a hired consultant.
The results can help employers to determine which noise control methods to use, and to re-evaluate risk assessments and select appropriate hearing protection equipment (HPE).
PROTECTION As with any other workplace hazard, employers should seek to implement ‘control at source’ measures before considering personal protective equipment (PPE) options, in line with the hierarchy of controls.
In some cases, employees may require HPE even after such measures have been taken. In these instances, it is vital first to ensure that the equipment provides adequate protection for the task at hand.
However, employers should bear in mind that choosing HPE with the highest noise attenuation is not always desirable, as this can stop the wearer from being able to effectively communicate and hear alarms and warning sounds.
As well as providing adequate protection against the hazard, HPE must be suitable for the wearer, task and environment. Suitability will depend on factors including user preference, compatibility with other PPE, hygiene considerations and product maintenance requirements.
When suitable HPE is selected, employees are more likely to wear it properly. When it is not suitable, they are more likely to frequently remove or adjust it for comfort or to communicate with colleagues, potentially leaving them exposed to hazardous noise. To help select suitable HPE, employees should be offered a wide selection of products. They should also be involved in the selection process, which can involve feedback sessions, questionnaires, focus groups and similar means.
TRAINING Once adequate and suitable HPE has been selected, employees must be properly trained. For training to be effective, it should cover several areas, beginning with the importance of HPE and when it should be worn.
Employees must also understand the specific noise hazards present in their workplace, the control measures to be used, how to wear and adjust their equipment, and any maintenance and storage procedures required.
VALIDATION Manufacturers provide data for the noise reduction (attenuation) rating of their HPE, but protection levels will vary between users, depending largely on their physical characteristics and how they wear the equipment. For example, people with wider ear canals may receive less protection than those with narrower ear canals. Those who do not insert their ear plugs properly may also face greater exposure to hazardous noise levels.
Fit testing using equipment such as the E-A-Rfit Dual- Ear Validation System from 3M can quantify the level of protection achieved by each worker, accounting for all these factors and giving accurate results in seconds.
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