According to the HSE, over 1 million employees in Great Britain are exposed to levels of noise that puts their hearing at risk. Furthermore, the study "Noise and Health" by the European Environment Agency states that 113 million (15.14%) Europeans are exposed to daily noise levels above 65 decibels (the noise threshold that the World Health Organization defines as healthy during the day).
The WHO states that the safe listening time of sounds up to 85 dB is a maximum period of 8 hours. This time decreases depending on the number of decibels you are exposed to, for example, the safe listening time for sounds at 100 dB is only 15 minutes a day.
There are certain situations where noise is unavoidable, such as traffic or crowds of people. However, in the workplace, it can be prevented by wearing good quality hearing protection like ear defenders or ear plugs.
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Why are good quality ear defenders important to health?
To appreciate the importance of protecting workers from noise at work with good quality ear defenders , it’s essential to understand the physical and mental health effects that exposure to high levels of noise can have.
In the short term, excessive noise can cause irritability, stress and anxiety, this can greatly reduce productivity at work and home. Workers are often more tired and irritable and they may also suffer from insomnia and headaches.
If noise exposure is prolonged over time, it eventually starts to affect the nervous system and may even lead to hearing loss. What's more, there are numerous studies worldwide that directly link exposure to high decibel noise to an increased likelihood of heart disease in older people.
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How to choose the best type of ear defenders
To prevent health problems and to ensure that a person’s quality of life is not affected by their work, it’s important to choose the best type of ear defenders.
Although price is an important factor in the purchasing decision process, health and quality should always come first.
There are many poor quality, low-cost ear muffs and ear plugs on the market that are supposed to protect the user against noise, unfortunately, this is often far from the truth.
Sometimes they are even more harmful than wearing nothing at all and they don’t prevent the health consequences discussed above.
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It’s crucial to shop for recognised brands that invest in research and development as they create innovative and high quality personal protective equipment that really protects the auditory system.
The first step to choosing the right kind of protection is to access the environment. For example, some people work in environments with high temperatures and they are likely to sweat more, this means that they should consider choosing ear defenders that are made with breathable cushions and can be cleaned easily or replaced when needed.
Otherwise, as the hours go by, the user will continue to sweat and feel more and more uncomfortable.
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In addition, if the user will be wearing other types of PPE whilst using ear defenders, such as safety goggles or respirator masks, then this needs to be taken into account to ensure that the equipment is compatible and can be worn together.
Some workers are required to wear their ear defenders 100% of the working day in very noisy environments, when that’s the case, comfort is absolutely vital. Uncomfortable hearing protection not only causes irritation but can also increase risk because users feel more inclined to remove them, even when it may not be safe.
Always remember that just because a protector completely attenuates sound does not mean it’s the best choice. Workers must be able to hear their surroundings, such as alarms or instructions from colleagues without having to remove their headphones.
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Finally, all ear defenders must be certified in accordance with personal protective equipment regulations and conform to the standards in force.
Ear defenders can have different levels of attenuation, an adequate level of attenuation needs to be chosen based on the level of noise and the duration of the exposure. Remember that noise affects people's health in both the short and long term.
Protecting your hearing at work is essential to maintaining a good quality of life.
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