Welding, cutting, gouging, and metal work all expose workers to high levels of noise that, over time, can damage a worker’s hearing and even lead to permanent hearing loss. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) “recommends that workers shall be required to wear hearing protectors when engaged in work that exposes them to noise that equals or exceeds 85 dBA as an 8-hour TWA” (Kardous et al., 2016).

Today there are several different styles and types of hearing protection to choose from that meet OSHA and EPA standards. OSHA regulation 1910.95 App B goes over noise reduction rating (NRR) in dB (decibels), which assigns a number rating to show by how many decibels the ear protection reduces noise. For example, a set of earplugs may have an NRR of 27 dB, and an average busy street may have a noise rating of 70 dB. So if a wearer uses earplugs on a busy street, the noise is then reduced to 43 dB. That is well within range for a person to be exposed to for multiple hours a day without risk of hearing loss or injury (Moniz, 2015, pp 19-20).

• DANGER: 120 – 130 dB. Once a noise reaches over 85 dB (approximately the level of a vacuum), damage to your hearing may begin.
• HEARING PROTECTION NEEDED: 97 – 115 dB. After this, every 3dB increase in sound halves the length of time that your ears can handle the noise before damage starts.
• HEARING PROTECTION NEEDED: 94 – 91 dB. You can only listen to personal music players (PMPs) for approximately 3.75 minutes on a high volume before it starts to damage your hearing.
• SAFE: 85 – 55 dB. The lower the volume, the longer you can safely listen.

Earplugs

Canal caps, pre-molded reusable plugs, and expandable foam plugs are all devices that are inserted into the ear itself. They might be reusable (with proper cleaning and storage) or intended for a single use. Earplugs fit easily and comfortably under a welding hood with other PPE such as safety glasses and a respirator. Earplugs also protect the inner ear from sparks and molten metal spatter that occurs with several welding processes. When conducting hot work such as cutting, welding, or grinding, not only do ear plugs provide the necessary protection to hearing, but they will also prevent those hot droplets of steel from entering the ear canal.

Hearing protection should be cleaned with soap and water if they are reusable or else discarded. Do not clean earplugs with alcohol, solvent, or alcohol-type cleaner. A warm water wash with soap should be enough. However, you may need to wash them several times to get them clean. After they are rinsed, let them air dry. Keep in mind that it is recommended that even reusable earplugs be replaced every 2-4 weeks.

Earmuffs

Exposure to loud noises can cause permanent damage to the ears and lead to partial or complete hearing loss. While earplugs are an excellent option for protection, there are also several different types of earmuffs for over-the-ear hearing protection that, in general, perform better.

When considering the appropriate noise protection, it’s not just about how loud a specific situation is, but also for how long a person is exposed to the sound. For example, if it’s steady noise or an occasional blast, like a gunshot. If blasts, it matters how often a person is exposed to this sound when deciding which noise level their PPE should offer.

Noise-Canceling Headsets

In addition to providing inner ear and over-the-ear protection, there are also noise-canceling headsets on the market. Noise-canceling headphones or ear protection are not OSHA-approved because they cancel out noises that are necessary for a user to hear to work safely—such as the sound of a forklift coming around the corner, a truck backing up, or a call for help. While they may be a great product for work in busy work environments like an office or to cancel out distractions to help a student study, these noise-canceling devices block out too much noise for a safe jobsite environment. Do not use them as workplace PPE.

Attributions

1. Figure 3.7: Earplugs – single use and reuse by Bill Ebbesen is released under CC BY-SA 3.0
2. Figure 3.8: Peltor earmuffs by JiriMatejicek is released under CC BY-SA 4.0
3. Figure 3.9: Active Noise Reduction by Marekich is released under CC BY-SA 3.0