What Professionals Should Wear Hearing Protection

Because persistent loud noises can damage the ears, many professionals must wear hearing protection as part of their jobs. Failing to do so could lead to rapid-onset hearing loss and the need to wear hearing aids. 

As you’ll see in this post, there are some obvious professions that require you to wear hearing aids. But there are also some less conspicuous applications as well. 

Airport Workers

Jet engines can produce more than 140 dB sounds, way above the safe threshold of 85 dB. For this reason, anybody working in an airport – especially baggage handling staff – should wear hearing protection. Furthermore, airport workers should try not to go in the vicinity of engines as they are powering up or down, as this is when they are at their loudest. Even brief exposure to sounds above 140 dB could produce profound hearing loss. 

Factory Engineers

Factory engineers are another obvious group of professionals who require hearing protection. While some facilities operate at a mild hum, most are extremely noisy environments. Machinery can often whirr to more than 110 dB – again, substantially surpassing the safe threshold. 

In most factories, hearing protection should be able to provide full protection, bringing the sound energy entering the ears down to 85 dB. Exceptions include siren sounds or engine noises that exceed 100 dB. In these cases, regular hearing protection may not provide sufficient protection. 

DJs

DJs aren’t a group of professionals that immediately jump to mind when you think of people who require hearing protection. However, because they work in very noisy environments, hearing protection is essential. 

Most DJs will play music in clubs above the safe 85 dB threshold. In many venues, the sound can be so loud that it is hard to hear somebody shouting in your ear next to you. 

What’s more, because music is a pleasant sound, professionals underestimate the noise. Club music can be louder than a police siren, but because it sounds good, people don’t try to avoid it – a factor that can lengthen exposure time substantially. Most sirens only last a couple of minutes, while DJs can play in clubs for hours. 

Construction Workers

Construction workers are another group who stand to benefit from hearing protection. Many of the tools they use, such as pneumatic drills, create sounds well in excess of 100 dB, again highlighting the need for hearing protection. 

Construction workers use earplugs or earmuffs interchangeably. Earbuds tend to have a slightly higher Noise Reduction Rating than earmuffs, while earmuffs are slightly more convenient. 

Musicians

Lastly, musicians regularly use hearing protection. At first, it can seem a little odd for musicians to deliberately block out the sound of the music they create. But hearing protection only partially cancels out the noise. So, they can protect their ears, and listen to their music at the same time. 

In summary, hearing protection is an essential kit in many industries. This list is by no means exhaustive, meaning that there are many other situations where hearing protection will come in handy.