How to Choose Proper Ear Defenders?
Ear defenders are personal protective equipment that is used to prevent the development of occupational diseases of the hearing organs, which can be facilitated by increased noise and vibration in the workplace.
On average, a person can work for 8 hours when exposed to noise levels up to 85 dB without irreversible changes in the organ of hearing. Therefore, if the permissible noise level is exceeded at work, then the employer is obliged to provide personal protective equipment such as headphones.
Protective headphones are especially in demand in the following areas: at construction sites, in various industries, in repair shops and workshops, as well as in any other places where a person will work with a high noise level. The performance of ear protectors should be appropriate for the specific application. Get to know more about ear defenders’ choices in the following article.
Main types
The product consists of ear cups (ear cushions) and a headband. The bowls are filled with sound-insulating material, most often foamed polyethylene is used for this purpose.
The headband is provided for comfortable fixation of the headphones, it can be a standard type, folding, universal, that is, adjustable, with a helmet or helmet mount (equipped with special adapters).
According to the principle of exposure, the following types of earmuffs are distinguished.
Passive ones, which fit as tightly as possible to the head, perfectly absorb all sounds.
Active. In this case, the products also perfectly suppress loud sounds, but nevertheless are equipped with sensitive microphones that allow you to communicate with other employees and pick up danger signals.
In addition, some active models can connect to a mobile phone or walkie-talkie.
Peculiarities of choice
There are several factors to consider when choosing the right earmuffs for your hearing protection: products should be made from safe certified materials that are perfect for regular cleaning and will not cause an allergic reaction, the device should not have any sharp corners and external damage, fit as tightly as possible to the head, without leaving any gaps, replacement of replaceable seals or inserts should be carried out without the use of any additional tools, all products must pass the required tests and comply with standards.
Additionally, when choosing earmuffs, you must take into account their acoustic performance:
Class 1, whose products absorb sounds up to 98 dB.
Class 2 – up to 105 dB.
Class 3 – up to 110 dB.
When buying protective headphones, firstly, take into account their further scope and specific parameters of the noise level at the workplace. Secondly, it is necessary to take into account the size, ease of use, and weight of the products so that the headphones do not create any discomfort throughout the entire working day.
By visiting the B&Q website you will find products with a universal size, suitable for convenient adjustment to any parameters of the worker’s head, they are lightweight, so they do not interfere with the work at all. In addition, the products are made of dielectric materials, therefore they are protected from electric shock.
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