Hearing Protection
Employers are required by law to comply with The Control of Noise Regulations 2005, which have been designed to ensure an employee's hearing is protected against excessive noise within the workplace. Where average noise levels are 80dB or above, the employer is required to assess the risk to their employees and making hearing protection and training available. When HPE (Hearing Protection Equipment) is worn, employees must not be exposed to noise levels above 87dB.
The European standard for hearing protection is EN352. All hearing protection supplied by Cusack has been tested to this standard and is outlined below:
- EN352-1 - Hearing protection for ear defenders.
- EN352-2 - Hearing protection for ear plugs (markings may only appear on the packaging).
- EN352-3 - Hearing protection for ear defenders attached to a safety helmet.
Cusack offer a comprehensive range of products from ear plugs to helmet mounted ear defenders.
What Makes Hearing Protection So Critical?
In industrial settings in particular, workers are frequently subjected to noise levels in excess of 85dB due to the operation of various machines and tools. Sound waves at that volume have the potential to damage or destroy the ear's delicate nerve endings and delicate hair cells. Permanent and irreversible hearing loss is a possible outcome, which has serious consequences for one's standard of living.
How Is Noise Measured?
In acoustics, the decibel scale is used to quantify sound levels. The reference level (0db) is set at the human perception threshold.
Choosing the Best Hearing Protection
Hearing protection equipment must be tested in accordance with European Standards to determine the level of protection provided by each product. These levels of protection are known as Single Number Ratings (SNR), and you can find them in product descriptions. Following a risk assessment, the HPE selection would necessitate subtracting the environmental noise level from the desired final noise levels at the end organ of hearing to determine the desired SNR. This would result in an adjusted desired noise level of 75dB to 80dB. Over-protection is defined as a final adjusted level below 70dB.