Hearing Protection

Protecting your hearing is a lifelong undertaking. At Sellstrom we are pleased to offer a growing line of hearing protection that is available for a wide range of environments. From disposable ear plugs to premium dielectric ear muffs we have the right selection that workers will be motivated to wear.

What you should know about hearing protection!

• Exposure to continuous high noise levels causes irreversible hearing loss
• Developing an effective workplace hearing safety program is critical
• OSHA sets the permissible 8 hour work day noise exposure level at 90 dBA and only 2 hours of exposure to 100 dBA
• Many companies place noise level limits even lower than the OSHA standard
• Here are guidelines that some companies apply for increased safety:
• – 8 hours exposure = 85 dBA
• – 4 hours exposure = 88 dBA
• – 2 hours exposure = 91 dBA
• – 1 hour exposure = 94 dBA

About NRR ratings and their practical application in the field

• The NRR ratings found on many hearing protection products in the market, including Sellstrom, have been tested and certified in controlled laboratories
• However, working environments are seldom controlled environments
• In the field hearing protection is not always fitted properly leading to noise creep and the potential for hearing damage
• As a precaution NIOSH recommends the following deratings during field use:
• – Ear Muffs – NIOSH recommends derating NRR ratings by 25%
• – Ear Plugs – NIOSH recommends derating NRR ratings by 50-75%
• In some applications, to achieve maximum protection the use of ear plugs andmuffs together may be the safest solution. It is estimated that by combining the two, an extra 5 dB’s can be added to the overall tested NRR rating