The Effects of Industrial Use on the Acoustical Performance of Some Earmuffs

2017

Med Pr

The study showed that full face masks give the greatest reduction in attenuation of earmuffs. On the other hand, the least reduction is observed in the case of filtering half masks. There is a significant difference between the reduction in attenuation of earmuffs worn with half masks for complete with particle filters because they may be equipped with different kind of the head strap. Med Pr 2017;68(3):349-361.

Section: Wstępunclassified

Attenuation of earmuffs used simultaneously with respiratory protective devices

2017

Med Pr

“…The other aspects related to the effectiveness of hearing protection devices are directly influenced by their user. For example, workers use worn or damaged hearing protection devices that are limited in effectiveness [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. In a working environment, it is quite common for employees to use hearing protection devices and other personal protective equipment at the same time, resulting in leakages and the reduced effectiveness of the hearing protection devices [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Tester to Evaluate the Correct Placement of Earplugs

Morzyński

et al. 2022

IJERPH

The use of hearing protection devices is one possible way of reducing the negative impact of noise on hearing. However, it is important to keep in mind that only properly used hearing protection devices provide adequate hearing protection. The aim of this article is to describe a newly developed tester to verify the correct placement of earplugs in the ear canal. This tester was developed using easily accessible and low-cost components. It implements the real-ear attenuation at threshold (REAT) method by which the sound attenuation of hearing protection devices is determined. The headphones with a greater low-frequency attenuation value were selected for use in the tester. The results of the sound attenuation measurement performed with the use of the tester did not differ by more than 5 dB compared to the measurements performed with the use of the Norsonic NOR838 system dedicated to this purpose. The developed tester is considered to be a device that will obtain reliable sound attenuation values. Thus, it can also be used as a device with which the correct placement of earplugs in the ear canal can be assessed.

“…For example, workers often use worn-out hearing protectors with limited effectiveness. Studies indicate that the attenuation of hearing protectors which were exposed to typical weather conditions may decrease by as much as 10 dB in comparison to new ones [7,8]. Another factor affecting the attenuation properties of used hearing protectors was the presence of damage [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of frequency component content on the selection result of hearing protectors

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics

2021

Hearing protectors are selected for workstation noise using the octave band (OB), HML and SNR methods. The purpose of this study was to determine how the frequency components of the noise can affect the selection of hearing protectors. In total, 55 hearing protectors were selected for four types of real occurring noise, high-frequency noise, low-frequency noise and eight simulated noises. Analysis showed that the noise type affects the accuracy of selection carried out using the HML and SNR methods. For a noise with dominant frequency components, the result for selection carried out using the HML method deviates from the result using the OB method by 7 and 9 dB for earmuffs and earplugs, respectively. The study shows that use of the HML and SNR methods may lead to wrong assessment of the effectiveness of hearing protection with the selected hearing protectors.