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:
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
