Hearing Protection: something to shout about!

David Lummis, Chief Executive Officer at the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) discusses noise induced hearing loss, together with hearing protection and its future direction within the workplace.

The effect of noise is a subject that is rarely considered by individuals on a day-to-day basis, as after all, noise is an everyday occurrence. Noise, however, is a common workplace hazard that in numerous cases goes undetected until it is too late and hearing loss for the individual(s) has occurred. Noise induced hearing loss is defined as irreversible damage to the ear caused by exposure to high levels of noise and is something that can be prevented by employers and employees working together.

According to HSE statistics it is estimated that approximately 1.7 million workers are exposed to noise above levels considered safe. It is further estimated that around 100,000 people have suffered hearing damage because of their work, with between 21 per cent and 36 per cent of these in engineering occupations.1

Hearing loss can be a problem at any workplace, however, workers in some industries such as engineering, agriculture, mining, construction and transport are often consistently exposed to dangerous levels of noise.

If a worker’s daily exposure exceeds 80dB(A) then, although not compulsory, it is considered beneficial that hearing protection be worn. If the dose exceeds 85dB(A) then it is mandatory that hearing protection be used. However, it has become apparent that the set standards relating to the dB(A) levels in which hearing protection needs to be applied, is becoming an issue within the marketplace. In a number of cases it would be beneficial for hearing protection to become mandatory at a lower dB(A), for example 80dB(A).

In order to implement the correct hearing protection, it is vital that a thorough noise survey of the at risk groups of workers is carried out to ensure that workers are fitted with the correct hearing protection equipment. These noise surveys need to be carried out on a regular basis to measure sound levels and define the risk control strategies to be implemented. There is a variety of noise measurement equipment available to assess and help analyse the exposure levels that operators experience. One provider of such equipment is Cirrus Research who is a specialist in the production of noise measurement instruments, including sound level meters, noise meters, noise dosemeters, environmental noise monitoring systems and acoustic transducers.

Purchasing a noise measurement instrument is a big investment for a company and one which requires thorough research to ensure that the exact needs are met by the instrument(s).  James Tingay, Group Marketing Manager at Cirrus Research states: “It is of course vital that noise measurement instruments measure accurately not only to meet standards, regulations and guidelines but to clarify on an ongoing basis whether noise damage is occurring in the workplace or the environment. Each time a piece of equipment is used it should automatically be calibrated using an acoustic calibrator, both before and after each measurement. This helps verify that the equipment is working correctly and is known as field calibration. However, due to the precise nature of a measurement instrument it should be subject to routine factory verification, known as calibration, every year, to ensure that it continues to perform accurately and operate to its original specifications.”

New technology in this area is continually evolving and a wide range of products are now available to help collate noise measurements. An example is this year’s winner of the BSIF’s Safety Award’s Product Innovation category, Sperian, for its Howard Leight Quiet Dose Exposure Monitor, an in-ear dosimetry that measures the actual noise levels reaching a worker’s eardrums over a working day.

Carrying out a noise survey and analysing the results will help determine the most appropriate action to reduce workers exposure to damaging sound levels. The first step should be to consider ways of reducing the noise at source or using noise reduction barriers between the noise source and the worker. Where this is not possible, the survey will assist in the selection of the appropriate hearing protection for the relevant workers.   Hearing protection devices block noise to protect the sensitive hair cells and nerves from damage, these hair cells inside the ears convert sound waves to electrical signals and unfortunately, once these hair cells are damaged, they never grow back.  There is a variety of hearing protection available in the marketplace that comes in many different forms, for example, earplugs, earmuffs and semi-inserts. However, these devices rely on individual workers using them correctly and hence the effectiveness of them is reliant on whether they fit correctly and are in good condition. Like respiratory equipment, the BSIF believes that manufacturers should provide training on how to use these devices properly and ensure they fit correctly. Regular testing combined with the proper use of the correct PPE will ensure noise induced hearing loss within the workplace is kept to an absolute minimum.

Whilst it is important to provide adequate hearing protection, conversely, careful consideration should be given to the level of noise reduction as overprotection can have a negative effect on the user’s awareness of other noise around them, thereby potentially exposing them to accidents. Steven Binnie, Product and Procurement Manager for Safety Products at Arco, comments: “The lowering of the action levels has meant a need for hearing protection products that protect less. The problems caused by over protecting are a major challenge in today’s work environment. Employers need to find the correct balance between protecting their workforce from the use of hearing protection whilst, at the same time, not subjecting them to risks from other hazards.”

The future of hearing protection is evolving at an exciting rate, with new innovations continually being brought to the marketplace. Steve explains: “The actual performance of the product you choose is important, assumptions are made around the level of protection based on primarily signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) numbers, this takes no account of the fit with the user. Some new technology (like the 3M EAR fit Validation product) measures an individual’s protection level. This is an important development and hopefully will result in a similar situation to respiratory protection where individual face fit tests are required.”

He continues: “Communication whilst wearing hearing protection is another key area; being able to communicate whilst carrying out work is increasingly important. The market for communication products that provide hearing protection is growing and will be an area to look out for in the future.”

Reliable noise measurement coupled with the correct selection of hearing protection, maintenance and accurate application of the devices is crucial to ensure noise induced hearing loss is kept to a minimum within the workplace. Hearing can be damaged very easily and remember, you can never get back what you've lost. Hearing protection helps fight this battle and constant improvements in design will help ensure the incidence of hearing damage and loss is significantly reduced over the next few years - providing us with something to shout about!

For further information regarding the BSIF please visit www.bsif.co.uk

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

1http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/eis26.pdf

Photo caption: ©iStockphoto.com-bmcent1

About the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF)

Established in 1994, the BSIF is the UK’s leading trade body for the safety industry. The Federation represents manufacturers and distributors of safety, health and environmental products; training companies; safety and environmental consultancies; together with accreditation and inspection houses, publishers and risk management consultancies. It is a Health and Safety Executive-recognised competent authority and the lead trade body for the PPE Regulations, as designated by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

As a membership organisation, the Federation is clearly focused to bring benefits to its members, something which its core values and mission statement reflect. Its core values – influential, knowledgeable, beneficial and supportive – drive the BSIF’s everyday aims, to support and represent suppliers of safety products and services across all aspects of safety legislation, standards making and major occupational safety issues. Its mission statement – to continue to improve occupational safety, protect and develop the safety and environment protection markets and generate benefits for its members – will continue to drive the Federation over the next years. The BSIF will carry on working with its members and other relevant bodies to help ensure the industry is ‘working together in safety’.

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