Hearing Protection

Remember the old saying: You never know what you have until it’s gone!?

This is true when it comes to hearing loss; once it’s gone, you cannot get it back. Failure to wear hearing protection can cause irreparable damage to your hearing. This loss is gradual so you won’t even notice it until it’s too late. High noises could severely damage the inner ear. The longer the exposure and the higher the sound pressure, the greater the damage.For this reason, it is important to use earplugs correctly. Roll the plugs between your fingers, pull back the ear and insert them all the way into the ear canal.Earplugs should be worn when the level of noise is at or exceeds 85dB (decibels) for a period of 8-hours (time weighted average.)

The following examples will give you an idea of decibel rating:

• 30-40 = quiet pleasant sounds, a bird chirping
• 40-50 = quiet to normal office sounds
• 50-60 = normal conversation
• 70-90 = heavy machinery, garbage disposal, and electric motors

Please remember that the discomfort of wearing hearing protection is a small price to pay for the benefit of conserving your hearing.