Hearing Protection

There are three major factors involved in the correct selection of hearing protection:

• The noise level and frequency characteristics
• Individual preference and degree of attenuation and the need to communicate whilst wearing hearing protection
• Interaction with other equipment.

A number of studies have documented that the majority of workers who use foam earplugs are not inserting them correctly and are therefore not protecting their ears to the specifications of the earplugs. Custom made earplugs are easier to insert and therefore will protect the ear by
the required amount. Custom made hearing protection also has the following advantages:

• More hygienic due to less handling by the worker
• The amount of attenuation can be tailored to the workers needs
• More comfortable due to the precise fit
• Easy to clean
• Able to be used with other safety equipment such as helmets, safety glasses, hats or earmuffs for excessive noise levels.
  

Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss can impact on the employer by:

• Increased chance of accidents
• WorkCover liability
• Potential compensation payments
• Reduced efficiency of workers.

Tinnitus – Something Can Be Done

"Ringing in the Ears" Overexposure to excessive noise can lead to the permanent onset of tinnitus. Tinnitus can be described as a variety of sounds including: ringing, buzzing, rushing, crickets, or a combination of these.

Tinnitus can become a problem if it interferes with someone’s concentration, sleeping patterns and ability to hear clearly. If this is the case then NO ONE SHOULD BE TOLD THAT "NOTHING CAN BE DONE".
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) has helped thousands of tinnitus patients throughout the world. 86% of patients who participate in the program are helped.

How loud is too loud?

It is widely accepted that working in a noisy environment such as a factory or with heavy machinery is damaging to our ears, however one group who are often forgotten or neglected with current legislation are musicians. Currently, Western Australian legislation requires workplaces, which have noise levels exceeding 85 decibels to provide their workers with adequate hearing protection. It would therefore appear unusual, that given that some musicians expose their ears to sound levels in excess of 110 decibels on regular intervals, they are not protected under the same legislation. It is therefore up to the musician or person listening to loud music to take responsibility for protecting their ears against long-term damage.