Hearing Protection

[shawndp]

Hello Everyone

With the cooler weather comes tire season and in our shop the tire machine is set up right next to the compressor. My job requires interacting with customers as well as doing the tires, so I can't plug in headphones or the giant earmuffs. I was looking at those reusable plugs - the Etymotic Research ones caught my eye because I am a headphone guy, but am looking for suggestions please, on the sort that lower the overall volume but don't shut out noise altogether. Thanks

Shawn

 

[zmotorsports]

I have always preferred the small or thin flexible band style that has the earplugs on the ends. I can't remember the exact name of them but they have a U-shaped plastic framework that is pretensioned slightly to hold the earplugs in place. Quick and easy to insert or remove when needed, small enough to not be cumbersome when working and still allows some hearing and not completely blocking out any sound. I bought them years ago mainly for whenever I or one of my co-workers would use an air hammer in the shop it would resonate severely and these worked good.

Sorry I can't remember the exact name of what they are called. I still have a couple of them that I use in my home shop when creating a lot of noise. I also used them when racing and wrenching in the trailer as it echoed quite a bit inside an enclosed trailer.

 

[cvairwerks]

I have always preferred the small or thin flexible band style that has the earplugs on the ends.

Canal caps...They are not really designed for the environment you are in. Working much of the day, close to a running compressor, is going to put you close, if not over the 85 dB average noise level that requires you to wear hearing protection and your employer to have a hearing conservation program. Caps are okay for short duration, non repetitive exposure... maybe an hour or two, one or two days a week.

You need to learn to function with either in ear plugs or over the ear muffs, and tactfully move customers away from the compressor area to talk to them.

We have such a noise level at work, that we are required to wear both ear plugs and headsets for many tasks. Most of us have learned how to regulate our voice volume as needed when wearing ear plugs, muffs or both, and not be shouting.

Don't screw around and let pride or vanity or even worse, convenience, keep you from protecting your hearing. Once you screw it up, it's for life unless you want a cochlear implant.

BTW, Laser Lites or the green weenies that look similar, are probably the most comfortable ear plugs out there that I've found. We use 3M 109 headsets too.

 

[pendragon1998]

Nothing is worth losing your hearing over. Any chance they can install sound deadening around the compressor?

 

[APEowner]

Personally, I'd use the giant earmuffs. To me they're the easiest to take on and off and customers will know right away that they need to catch your eye before you'll notice them.

 

[moab11]

our company now buys custom molded ear plugs for any employee that needs them. They are absolutely amazing, comfortable enough to wear all day. The silicone is rated for 5 years with normal cleaning, then the company recommends a new mold due to changes in the body over time. You can get them in solid, vented, even with ports for radios or headphones. I have a set of the vented ones that allow your ears to equalize(needed for going underground in the mine) but have a "filter" to allow normal conversation while still blocking harmful levels of noise. I've now bought a pair for home that have the headphone ports and they are nice.

Honestly, if you plan to be in this environment for a long time, get something good that is also comfortable so you actually wear them.

 

[nes999]

Wearing hearing protection is a learning curve. You have to rewire how you think. Eventually it becomes second nature. I started after I noticed going entire meals and not understand a word anyone had said. I wish I had started protecting my hearing sooner.

One key that helped me wear them was getting a comfortable pair of over the ear muffs. I tried a bunch of cheap ones and never ended up wearing them. Finally broke down and bought a pair from 3m and now I sometimes forget they are on.

Muffs are nice way to get yourself into hearing protection. You can take them on and off easily when you need to talk. Eventually you might wear both plugs and muffs for those louder jobs.

My bad habit is wearing eye protection. I can't find a pair that is even half way comfortable.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

 

[Finky198]

Anything by 3m I wear the UltraFit style daily and would go nuts without them.

Here a link to 3M’s main hearing protection page plenty of excellent opt...
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/All-3M-Products/Personal-Protective-Equipment/Hearing-Protection/Safety/Worker-Health-Safety/?N=5002385+8709322+8711017+8711405+8720539+8720546+3292438133+3294857497&rt=r3#reusable

 

[Rich+]

The fastest in/out plugs I've found are the pod style: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...6+8725619+8726503+3292438133+3294857497&rt=r3

I buy them on ebay in small lots, and they give very good sound reduction. That way you can rip them out fast and let them dangle on your neck: I've never found a good place to put ear muffs when not wearing them.

I also have not found any protection that allows music through with proper sound dampening. At the end of the day you have to crank the tunes too loud and you defeat the point of hearing protection. Perhaps try bone induction headphones along with earplugs?

 

[Wamsutta]

I use the Howard Leight "Quiet" soft silicone ear plugs. They're the most comfortable ones that I've found. I hate the foam kind that you roll up and insert into your ears; they make my ear canals sore.

 

[Jacko264]

Personally, I'd use the giant earmuffs. To me they're the easiest to take on and off and customers will know right away that they need to catch your eye before you'll notice them.

I have tinnitus and the best earmuffs you can get is can type
in your job your hands will get mucky so don't use plug type they push muck in your ears
Graham

 

[Jacko264]

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/produ...UCT+GROUP&matchtype=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2JDUr9

something like this is what you need
Graham

 

[Todd.Brock]

I use these for lawn and garden use. . I leave a pair sitting on my ZTR. I also have a pair or two of individually wrapped foam plugs sitting in the cup holder . I bought a box of 100 pair from HF and hung it on the wall next to safety glasses and a face mask.

I have the massive air traffic controller 3M muffs , and then 3 or 4 other sets of Peltor floating around. I have a set by the table saw, miter saw. I don’t have an excuse not to have my ears in. I may have more muffs than tape measures.

 

[cvairwerks]

I also have not found any protection that allows music through with proper sound dampening. At the end of the day you have to crank the tunes too loud and you defeat the point of hearing protection. Perhaps try bone induction headphones along with earplugs?

Depending on what NRR you need Rich, here is one solution. NRR is 25:
http://www.earplugstore.com/howard-leight-cync-wireless-headset-rws-53016.html

Higher NRR needs will push you to more expensive units.

 

[APEowner]

Wearing hearing protection is a learning curve. You have to rewire how you think. Eventually it becomes second nature. I started after I noticed going entire meals and not understand a word anyone had said. I wish I had started protecting my hearing sooner.

One key that helped me wear them was getting a comfortable pair of over the ear muffs. I tried a bunch of cheap ones and never ended up wearing them. Finally broke down and bought a pair from 3m and now I sometimes forget they are on.

Muffs are nice way to get yourself into hearing protection. You can take them on and off easily when you need to talk. Eventually you might wear both plugs and muffs for those louder jobs.

My bad habit is wearing eye protection. I can't find a pair that is even half way comfortable.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

I agree with all of that. As far as eye protection goes; I've had them use the eyeball die grinder to remove metal from my eye. Compared to that safety glasses are pretty comfortable.

 

[jeepboy4life]

I got a pair of surefire EP3's in a pinch and am very happy with them, all day comfort, stays up, "adjustable" hearing protection. They have a small cap that will allow some sounds through with them open, if you close them you get more of a traditional ear plug. I have found them sufficient enough to leave the caps open while at work as well as at the range trap shooting. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for ear plugs, and at under 15 bucks they dont break the bank.

 

[bpjr]

I have the custom molded plugs and they filter out less noise then my cheap HF ear muffs. They shrink and mine lost the good fit inside of a year. My Peltor Bullseye muffs are the go to muffs for shooting and cheap HF muffs work well at my work bench and for the riding lawn tractor. I quit using foam plugs and went to the molded soft rubber insert type with discs on the shaft. They are washable and seal better than foam.

 

[old__man]

our company now buys custom molded ear plugs for any employee that needs them. They are absolutely amazing, comfortable enough to wear all day. The silicone is rated for 5 years with normal cleaning, then the company recommends a new mold due to changes in the body over time. You can get them in solid, vented, even with ports for radios or headphones. I have a set of the vented ones that allow your ears to equalize(needed for going underground in the mine) but have a "filter" to allow normal conversation while still blocking harmful levels of noise. I've now bought a pair for home that have the headphone ports and they are nice.

Honestly, if you plan to be in this environment for a long time, get something good that is also comfortable so you actually wear them.

I have these. Had them for years now. On my second set. I use to wear them flying choppers and now I wear them all the time around tools. That means saws, drills, lawnmowers, snowblowers, sanding, hammering, even driving my quad. I find I get much less fatigued with them in.

When I am building my garage they will be in my ears for about 5hrs straight. No discomfort whatsoever. Regular ear plugs would irritate my ear canals as mine are a little smaller than normal. They are so quick and effortless to put in and remove.

 

[wmm2]

I use the earmuff type. I'm still able to hear normal conversation while wearing them. They pull off quickly, and I keep them around my neck if they're going back on right away.The only problem is being careful not to bump them on anything (like a wall or a fender). For some reason that seems to amplify the bump.

 

[shawndp]

Thanks everyone for all the info you provided. I have quite a bit of reading up to do on all the ones suggested. I did some quick and dirty measurements and I am averaging about 75db near the compressor, low 60's at my desk and a max of 88db in short spells when the compressor and air tools are going. Are those numbers to be concerned about? Thanks again!

Shawn

 

[Snakebyt]

Anything will help a little, and its worth it. I never took hearing safety seriously, and over the years of concerts and working bars that play music way too loud, i have a constant ringing in my right ear now. Most times i dont even notice it anymore, but if i think about it, it is there, its always there

 

[bpjr]

Osha sets their safety rating at 85db for work place hearing protection and that is based on an average of 8 hrs a day. I asked a certified trainer for hearing protection why 85db and he said hearing loss is so small under 85db they can't measure it.

 

[cvairwerks]

Shawn: For those numbers, it's not too bad, but you do see periods that hearing protection would be worth using. Yeah, it can be a pain to use, and tough to get used to, but you don't want to be doing the old "Shouda or Why didn't I" thing a number of years down the road. Hearing loss is preventable for the most part, but you have to make wearing the gear an absolute habit. Permanent damage is subtle and sneaky....because it's a cumulative process.

Find a protection scheme that works and you can use. It may be that you guys do some work to isolate the compressor noise from everyone, or you end up with plugs or muffs, but either way, protect yourself.

I did some quick and dirty measurements and I am averaging about 75db near the compressor, low 60's at my desk and a max of 88db in short spells when the compressor and air tools are going. Are those numbers to be concerned about? Thanks again!

Shawn

 

[MikeF2316]

Personally, I'd use the giant earmuffs. To me they're the easiest to take on and off and customers will know right away that they need to catch your eye before you'll notice them.

Add me to this list. You can hear talking through them, they can be quickly removed from your ears and "stored" for a short conversation around your neck. They will get dirty, the hard plastic is easy to clean. This is what I wear in my shop.

 

[Finky198]

^^^ I’ll second that, I have 2 pairs of the muff style and they are indispensable at certain times. I even wear both style in conjunction during some extremely noisy operations.

 

[oldwino]

HUH?

Spent most of my working life running heavy equipment and weekends either drag racing (fuel cars on starting line) without hearing protection

My hearing aids are also noise canceling but too late for a normal life

 

[olouttt]

I like my giant earmuffs

 

[DemoFly]

Isotunes aware line.

But I still recommend just wearing some muffs. They are easy to pop an ear out and then slap back over the ear.

 

[seber]

Throwaway foam plugs are effective, cheap, and you can still talk to people without removing them. They are OSHA approved and comfortable.

 

[boom10ful]

Hello Everyone

With the cooler weather comes tire season and in our shop the tire machine is set up right next to the compressor. My job requires interacting with customers as well as doing the tires, so I can't plug in headphones or the giant earmuffs. I was looking at those reusable plugs - the Etymotic Research ones caught my eye because I am a headphone guy, but am looking for suggestions please, on the sort that lower the overall volume but don't shut out noise altogether. Thanks

Shawn

The best ones that I've used are 3M peltor earbuds with skull screw tips. Very comfortable and last all day at medium volume.

https://www.amazon.com/EEP-100-Rechargeable-Construction-Manufacturing-Maintenance/dp/B07P8YDBZD/?tag=atomicindus08-20