Hair cells in the inner ear can be permanently damaged after continuous exposure to sound pressure levels (SPL) over certain decibel (dB) levels. According to our labour law, more than 8 hours exposure to sound levels above 85dB is regarded as dangerous. For unprotected ears, allowed exposure time decreases by ½ the amount of time for each 3dB increase in SPL. For e.g. exposure should be limited to 8 hours at 85dB, 4 hours at 87dB, 2 hours at 90dB, etc.
Permissible exposure for unprotected ears at 105dB is 4 minutes per day!
2.Can I still communicate with others and hear machine problems when wearing Protec-Ear SA hearing protectors? Just as sunglasses help vision in very bright light, so do hearing protectors enhance speech understanding in noisy places. Even in a quiet setting, a person wearing hearing protectors should be able to understand a regular conversation. Hearing protectors do slightly reduce the ability of those with damaged hearing or poor speech discrimination to understand normal conversation however, it is important to prevent further noise-induced hearing damage. Most machine operators quickly adjust to quieter sounds and can still detect machine problems. Most people automatically speak louder in a noisy environment, therefore as the noise source levels are dropped, for example from 115dB to 80dB, and if speech is at 80dB, it is easily understandable despite the background noise.
3.Why we need hearing protection – some background:
When it comes to hearing, very few people realize the importance of protecting their hearing! Over the years we have seen and treated many people that have been affected by hearing loss. On average, 30% of the population is exposed to high noise levels during work or play, of which one third will suffer from occupational deafness by the time they retire. Before they actually become aware of their hearing loss there is a decrease in work efficiency, they get agitated, frustrated, aggressive, depressed, they feel more isolated from the community and tend to become withdrawn from society. Family conflicts frequently occur and some become paranoid. Physical changes can occur like higher blood pressure and increased heart-rate. Risks of arthritis and cancer can also increase.
Not only does their hearing-loss affect them, but physically and psychologically they struggle to get along with society.
4.Protect your hearing!
It certainly takes a few adjustments – it’s a new lifestyle, but definitely worthwhile in the end. We don’t “feel” hearing loss at a young age (it’s painless!), but as we get older the sensorineural (nerve) hearing loss that can be caused by several factors other than noise (ageing, genetics, ototoxic drugs, viruses) could be reduced or prevented by addressing the noise-induced factors!
Due to the adaptations that need to be made and the fact that some hearing-protectors do not measure up to the persons needs, they choose not to wear them. People feel the costs are too high, they can “do without them”, they “interfere”, etc. Hearing loss is irreversible! Once the nerve is damaged, it never recovers. Having been involved in the hearing field for a considerable time and knowing that prevention is better than cure, Protec-Ear has devoted a lot of their time and energy into developing a hearing protector that is user-friendly, comfortable and affordable and that complies with and surpasses the minimum specifications laid down by the SABS and Department of Labour.
5.How can I tell if a noise is dangerous?
People differ in their sensitivity to noise. As a general rule, noise may damage your hearing if you have to shout over background noise to make yourself heard; the noise hurts your ears, makes them ring or leaves you slightly deaf for several hours after exposure to the noise.
Sound is normally measured in two ways: Intensity (loudness) is measured in decibels (dB). Pitch is measured in frequency of sound vibrations per second. A low pitch such as a deep voice or tuba makes fewer vibrations per second than a high voice or violin.
6.Can I toughen up my ears?
No. If you think you have grown used to loud noises, your hearing nerve is probably damaged. There is no treatment – no medicine, no surgery, not even a hearing aid can correct your hearing 100% once you have noise-induced hearing loss!
7.What does Frequency have to do with hearing loss?
Frequency is measured in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz). The higher the pitch of the sound, the higher the frequency. Young children, who generally have the best hearing, can often distinguish between sounds from about 20 Hz, such as the lowest sound of a pipe organ, to 20 000 Hz, such as the shrill sound of a dog-whistle that many people are unable to hear.
Human speech, which ranges from 300 to 4000 Hz, sounds louder to most people than noise at very high or low frequencies. When hearing impairment begins, the high frequencies are often lost first, which is why people with hearing loss often have difficulty understanding the high pitched voices of women and children.
Loss of high frequency hearing can also distort sound, so that speech is difficult to understand even though it can be heard. Hearing impaired people often have difficulty detecting differences between certain words that sound alike, especially words that contain s, f, sh, ch, h, or soft c sounds, because the sound of these consonants is in a much higher frequency range than vowels and other consonants.
8.What about decibels?
Intensity of sound is measured in decibels (dB). The scale runs from the faintest sound the human ear can detect, which is labeled 0 dB, to over 180 dB, the noise at a rocket pad during a launch. Decibels are measured logarithmically. This means that as decibel intensity increases by units of 10, each increase is 10 times the lower figure. Thus, 20 decibels is 10 times the intensity of 10 decibels, and 50 decibels is 10 000 times as intense as 10 decibels
Approximate Decibel Level
Examples
0 dB
The quietest sound you can hear
30 dB
Quiet whisper in a library
60 dB
Normal conversation, sewing machine, typewriter
85 dB
Lawnmowers, shop tools, truck traffic; 8 hours per day is the maximum exposure (protects 90 % of people)
100 dB
Chainsaw, pneumatic drill, snowmobile; 2 hours per day is the maximum exposure without protection
115 dB
Sandblasting, loud rock concert, car hooter; 15 minutes per day is the maximum exposure without protection
140 dB
Gunshot, jet engine; noise causes pain and even brief exposure injures unprotected ears. Maximum allowed noise with hearing protectors
9.How high can Decibels go without affecting my hearing?
Many experts agree that continued exposure to more than 85 dB may become dangerous.
FAQ
Just as sunglasses help vision in very bright light, so do hearing protectors enhance speech understanding in noisy places. Even in a quiet setting, a person wearing hearing protectors should be able to understand a regular conversation. Hearing protectors do slightly reduce the ability of those with damaged hearing or poor speech discrimination to understand normal conversation however, it is important to prevent further noise-induced hearing damage. Most machine operators quickly adjust to quieter sounds and can still detect machine problems. Most people automatically speak louder in a noisy environment, therefore as the noise source levels are dropped, for example from 115dB to 80dB, and if speech is at 80dB, it is easily understandable despite the background noise.
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