Hearing Protection
Guidance
Over 46 million people in the UK and Europe work in harmful levels of noise, particularly builders and construction workers. Occupations most in need of ear protection and at risk of harmful levels of noise exposure include construction, metal, electrical and textile processing. The higher the level of noise, and the longer individuals are exposed to it, the greater the risk they have of suffering harm from it. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is the most common occupational disease in Europe and the Health and Safety Executive estimates that over 2 million people in the UK are exposed to harmful noise levels at work.
The number of people in the UK suffering from hearing damage as a result of exposure to noise at work was estimated at 509,000 in a Medical Research Council survey. NIHL is permanent and incurable and has been recognised as an occupational disease since the 18th century, among copper workers hammering metal, blacksmiths, and shipbuilders. We can’t stay silent about noise induced hearing loss and the failure of traditional solutions any longer. That’s why London based company Eave has created some of the best ear noise protection solutions for industrial use in the UK and overseas.
Why is the adoption of level
dependent hearing protection
with noise monitoring so critical?
We already know what harmful levels of noise exposure can mean for an individual. The dangers of conventional solutions for ear protection are perhaps less well understood as the alternatives have until now been limited. The 2018/19 RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) statistics show that of the 147 reported fatal injuries to builders and other workers in the UK, the largest percentage came from the construction industry (30 people) and 48.3% (71 people) of all fatal injuries are linked to a failure in situational awareness. It is not known how many of those killed were wearing conventional ear protection for noise.
Aside from the immediate, physical danger of working on a hazardous site with compromised auditory sensing and perceptual abilities, exposure to harmful levels of noise can have long-term, “silent” implications that include stress, fatigue, isolation, elevated blood pressure, dementia, hearing loss and tinnitus. Hearing damage gradually increases with exposure to noise and it can take a number of years damage from noise for a person to realise they have become deaf.
The use of conventional
builders hearing protection
The protection and preservation of employees hearing against noise exposure is already a legal
requirement and therefore, the use of the best ear protection is required whenever there is a risk of noise exposure. However, this mandate means there is widespread adoption of conventional passive hearing protection such as
1. foam ear-plugs
2. custom moulded ear-plugs
3. passive ear-muffs.
While well-meaning, these methods actually degrade auditory aspects of task performance in many situations while not providing the necessary or expected levels of noise protection. Any impairment, impediment, or distortion of normal hearing raises the risk of the operative not detecting, identifying, recognising or localising a hazard. He or she might not hear a hazard warning signal or approaching vehicle, or not adequately understand communications from other personnel.
The Solution:
Level Dependant
Hearing Protection
Those operating in noisy environments should use level dependent hearing protection if the source of noise cannot be managed in another way. The benefits level dependant hearing protection:
1. More natural hearing for the user
2. Improved speech communications
3. Improved signal detection
4. Reduced noise-induced annoyance
5. Protection from loud noise
Level dependant hearing and noise protection applies the correct level of protection automatically. Level dependant, electronic hearing protection is specifically designed to maintain or even enhance one’s auditory capabilities as compared to conventional passive hearing protection. It is important to remember that noise exposure and the occupational diseases that can result are preventable if employers are able to apply effective noise control measures.
Can you truly prevent
occupational deafness?
The harm caused by noise exposure at work, especially in building sites and industrial locations is entirely preventable if:
1. UK employers take action to reduce exposure to noise and provide personal hearing protection
2. Manufacturers design tools and machinery to operate more quietly
3. Employees make use of the personal hearing protection and other control measures supplied
The UK industrial sector is now shifting away from using passive hearing protection and towards level dependent ear protection with integrated noise monitoring as an effective tool to achieve these objectives. Galliford Try Highways for example has made the decision to no longer carry the risk of
conventional passive hearing protection and has implemented a policy mandating the use of level dependent protection with integrated noise monitoring on its work sites. It is no longer a question of if the shift will take place, only how fast will it happen.