Important Things That People Should Know About Hearing Protection Devices

Noise exposure can be continuous, impulsive or intermittent. It can cause hearing loss. Thus, where administrative and engineering controls aren't successful in lowering the noise exposure, hearing protection devices are to be used. OH&S needs that employees be offered a variety of hearing protection devices, including ear plugs and ear muffs. If your profession demands you to work in a place where you will be exposed to too much of noise, then it is a must for you to opt for these kinds of devices. So, before you damage your ear, make sure you wear one. 

There are actually many people in Bulleen who come to an audiologist after damaging their ears. When conducting the hearing tests in Bulleen, these audiologists come to know that they were often exposed to noise when working in industrial environments and that caused hearing impairment. People who are work in industrial environments or are musicians who perform rock music should make sure to use hearing protection devices for their safety. This is very important. 

Different kinds of hearing protectors are available like ear plugs, semi insert ear plugs and ear muffs. Ear plugs are basically inserted for blocking the ear canal. They can be premolded or moldable and are often sold as reusable plugs or disposable products. Custom molded ear plugs are even available. The semi-insert ear plugs on the other hand basically consist of two ear plugs that are held over ends of ear canal by a stiff headband. And last but not the least are the ear muffs that consist of sound attenuating substance and soft ear cushions that fit around the hard outer cups and ear. These products are basically held together by a head band. 

Before selecting the protection devices, these people should however know about a few important things, which they are usually not aware of. If they think that they need a hearing protection device, then a hearing conservation programme must first be instituted. The program basically includes assessment of the noise, selection of the hearing protector, employee education and training, audiometric testing, inspection, maintenance, program evaluation and record keeping. 

It is also important to note that a person must wear a hearing protector if the sound or noise level at the workplace exceeds 85 decibels. But this is also true that the effectiveness of the device would be greatly reduced if they are not fit properly or worn only during noise exposure. For maintaining their effectiveness, they must never be modified. One should even remember that radio headsets are actually not a substitute for these devices and must never be worn where these protectors are needed for protecting against noise exposure. The device that's chosen must be comfortable enough to be worn and accepted. It must offer adequate protection and shouldn't make communication difficult.