Hearing Protection

[Ed Weiser]

Recently I noticed my hearing was getting a little worse, and while I might just be getting old (?) I have renewed my efforts at improved hearing protection in the shop. What does everyone else do? Earplugs, muffs, electronic noise suppressors? Just taking a poll since I can't recall that this has been a topic here on SMC.

Ed

[Mark J Bachler]

I use the little yellow ear plugs. Cheap & they work. My wife snores so I keep a pair by the bed.

They make a pretty decent floating jighead for walleyes also.

[Lynn Sonier]

Huh? Whatdidjasay?

[Ted Shrader]

Ed -

I have documented hearing loss thanks to the Navy. Lots of hours sitting by an APD.

I use ear muffs because ear plugs are so dang uncomfortable. Several pairs hanging around the shop. Tried the plugs on the head band type, but they kept breaking. Have thought about noise suppressors but can't justify the $$$ yet. I could be convinced based on others input.

Thanks for asking the question. Don't think it has been discussed at length.
Regards,
Ted

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'm totally deaf in my right ear and that ear has tonitus(sp?). In other words the right ear has a tone in it. I've become extremely protective of my remaining hearing. I wear ear muffs.

[Betsy Yocum]

This is a good thread question - thanks for asking.

I use ear muffs as well. However, I'm thinking of switching to the electronic noise suppressors - but have not done much research on them yet. Would be interested to know what other's think of the different muffs on the market.

Betsy

[Aaron Montgomery]

I wear muffs 95% of the time I run anything noisy. I'll sometimes skip it if I'm just making a quick cut.

[Matt Meiser]

I use ear muffs, mostly only when sanding (because I use my shop vac for dust collection) or running the planer. I also use them when mowing the lawn, but more so I can use ear bud headphones under them to listen to MP3's.

I got mine at the Cabela's near me for about $30. I found them in the shooting section. They are much better than anything sold by Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

[Maurice Ungaro]

I all,
I have done quite a bit of target shooting and some hunting over the past few years. A while ago, I got into the electronic hearing protector game, as I was spending about every saturday at the range, puting holes in paper targets. The pair of e-muffs that I bought were made by Peltor, a well respected name in the business, and I must say, they performed wonderfully. As with anything that runs on batteries, you have to be mindful to turn them OFF when you're done using them (I've wasted alot off batteries that way...). Anyway, the noise suppression with these is pretty darn good, with a rating of noise reduction at 21 decibels (db). This means that loud noises (anything over 85db) are automatically shut down to a level which is 21 db below what it was detected at. This is good, but there are better reduction ratings out there. I now try to use products that are rated for at least 24 db in reduction.

Now, for the benefits of the e-muff and it's associated amplification: normal conversations can be heard and understood, even amplified with these units. Which means that at the range, i can give instructions to students, talk with others, or just be more aware of my surroundings (a real safety factor) - all the while protecting my hearing while firing is taking place. Out in the filed on a hunt, I used to get ribbed and ridiculed for being a lightweight and wanting to protect my hearing (never could understand that one), however, I LOVE the ability to hear things moving throught the woods, even if it is a squirrel. You also get to hear the deer as well. On top of that, it makes me more careful of my movements, as I hear everything amplified significantly, so therefore, I become more careul out there.

OK, so, how does this relate to the shop? Easy..wear these things while the table saw, or router is running, and you can comfortably hear someone (insert significant other) calling you to tell you something important. It also gives you the ability to hear that phone ringing. Plus, you don't have to keep donning and doffing these things in order to comfortably accomplish your tasks.

My first pair has finally bit the dust, so I just odrered a replacement for significantly less that the originals. Bear in mind that my first pair were purchased in 1996, so eight years of use isn't bad. Anyway, the Peltor's cost around $140 back then, and still are around the same price. The replacement set is manufactured by some newer brand (read offshore manufacturing) and sell for around $59. BIG difference inprice, plus the newer ones offer (reportedly) a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 27db. Believe me, that's a noticeable difference from a NRR of 21db.

Here's the link to the pair I just bought:
http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/136427

Keep in mind, I do not have any affiliation, kick back privaledge, etc., etc., with any associated brands, companies, or organizations.

Please work safely, have fun, and enjoy life!

Maurice

[Dave Anderson NH]

While inserts of various types and muffs have different attenuation values, all work to cut down the noise level. The single most important thing about hearing protection is a combination of convenience and comfort. If your choice is neither of these, you won't wear them and they do you no good at all hanging on the wall or sitting in a drawer. You might need to try a couple of different styles to find out what works well for you. It is money well spent and since they are relatively inexpensive multiple choices are possible.

[Bob Powers]

I have been using the Bose headphones for about a year. Once you get past the $$$ shock, they are outstanding. Noise levels are reduced to a very acceptable level, and I am able to hear my wife speak very easily if she comes in the shop. I spent much of my working life before retirement in the commercial sound business, and was subjected to very high sound pressure levels at times. I wore David Clark headphones for about 35 years until I bought the Bose. (In the presence of loud sounds, that is!) I suspect that some of the less expensive electronic systems work well, but have no experience with them. At any rate, my hearing is still quite good, due I'm sure to wearing hearing protection all these years.

[Frank Pellow]

Earmuffs made by Peltor (model number H7 as far as I can tell).
They are very comfortable and the best at nose reduction of any earmuffs that I have tried.

[Bob Worrel Jr.]

Bottom line to all...Wear hearing protection of some kind.

I too was lax in wearing hearing protection in my younger years. I just started wearing hearing aides a couple of months ago. It improved my hearing tremendously, but it's not the same as the real thing. And I could have used the $6500.00 on shop tools or a trip to anywhere, rather then buying hearing aides.

Again...wear 'em if you got 'em. If you don't have any...get some.

[Sparky Paessler]

I use Peltor earmuffs in the shop but find them to hot to use out in the yard or on a job so I use these AirSoft™ Corded Ear Plugs (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=31211&category=1,42207,46907&ccurrency=2&SID=) from Lee Valley and have been very happy with them.

[Greg Narozniak]

Another vote for Peltor. I used them everytime I would go to the shooting range and now they are in the shop. Anytime the Planer and router table are used they are on. other machines if it's prolonged use.

Neighbor got the Peltor Tunes model "With a radio" and he loves them when cutting the grass, has not tried them in the garage yet. He also has the Peltor Electronic ones that lower the DB the instant it goes above a certain sound level, very nice but I think they are almost a $100. Expensive but worth it if you need to talk and then need the protection and back and forth, like Firearms instruction or to hear SWMBO when she calls :D .

[Chris Padilla]

Here is what I use in the shop:

http://www.ontargetsportsonline.com/Shooting_Accs/Eye_Ear/Howard_Leight/HowardLeight.asp

Not the $200 one but the one right below it at $20 (Leightning 31). Very comfortable. My wife uses them for vacuuming and I always wear them in the shop...sometimes I forget to take them off after the really loud stuff is off. I use them in the yard, too, for mowing.

This company, Ontargetsportsline.com is great to deal with, too. Wonderful customer service.

[John Miliunas]

Muffs for me, especially on planer, jointer and resawing on BS. BUT, after reading the glowing report from Maurice, I think I might the big one and go for high-tech! :) (Thanks Maurice!) :cool:

[Dave Wright #2]

I find ear plugs uncomfortable. The Peltors that reamplify but cut off sounds above 85 Db are nice if you want to wear them for long periods. They don't have the 27 Db rating of the plain Peltors though. These are passive noise suppression approaches. Active approaches, also known as noise cancellation headphones, haven't gotten much press. That could be because the best Db attentuation I can find on their websites is 10. That's way short of 21 - 27 you get with high quality muffs.

I've chosen the 27 Db Peltor muff approach. I work alone and don't mind taking them off between machine runs or if my wife drops in to talk over something or say hi. One concern though: their attentuation diminishes drastically if worn over safety glasses that have thick temple pieces. Go with thin plastic or wire rimmed safety glasses and you'll get most of the 27 Db rating.

[Dave Moran]

I use shooter's muffs, an added feature is the fact that they hold my glasses in position as well

[Chris Padilla]

John,

Be sure to check out the link I provided...the Howard Leight muffs ($20!) offer a 31 dB reduction and they are sooooo comfortable. I bought 2 pairs for the BIL and FIL and my wife just came to find out that her father actually wears these suckers in bed sometimes!! He love them. :)

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I wear the little yellow foam one almost ALL THE TIME then when using something really noisy I add a pair of ear muffs for double protection. I believe even the seemingly quiet machine is still too much noise for hearing safety. Alan in Md.

[Ian Barley]

I have several pairs of ear defenders (muffs) around the shop. They go on a soon as I enter and sometimes don't come off until I realise I am still wearing them on the drive home. I like a now discontinued 3M branded style - of which I have 3 pairs. two for me and one for visitors. I also have a pair of Peltor worktunes with built in radio - which are great for dealing with the loneliness of solo working. The reason I have several sets is that it means in the summer I can change them over when the pads get sweaty - ecch!

I have tried (cheap) electronic style noise reducers and did not get on with them. I found that the microphone emphasised low level mechanical noise wd did not do a great job of reducing. They were, as I said, a cheap pair though.

Whatever you do - do something. My dad and several of my acquaintances have work related hearing loss. It isn't pleasant and is very avoidable. If you don't get on with muffs try plugs or different styles of muffs - just don't go deaf for the sake of a few dollars.

[Bill Grumbine]

I've had hearing problems in one ear since I was a lad of six years old (German measles), and so have been cautious about exposing what is left of my hearing to noise. I wear either muffs or foam earplugs, depending on what I am doing. If the task at hand requires a lot of on and off, I go for the muffs. If I am out on the tractor, or shooting -i.e out where I cannot afford to expose my solar panel to too much sun, I wear foam plugs. Just recently I got a pair of muffs for use on my air helmet. The noise level from the helmet motor is actually higher than without the muffs, but I figure that is bone induction. I don't think it will do damage, but who knows? I would certainly hope not.

I have not read through this thread the whole way, but I know the "work tunes" muffs are popular. A number of years ago my mother the nurse showed me several studies that showed conclusively that headphones producing music or other sound set up a compression pattern that actually serves to damage hearing faster than not wearing hearing protection in noisy environments. Don't ask me to cite these studies - we are talking over 20 years ago, but it has stuck with me.

I really enjoy listening to Mozart flute sonatas, so I need to take good care of what I have.

Bill

[Tyler Howell]

[QUOTE=Maurice Ungaro]
Hey Mau!
Good Rap, thanks, Question for you sir??? Can you hear SWMBO while the running tool is being squelched, or the in between times with device on your ears:confused:
Thanks again very informative.;)

[John Miliunas]

[QUOTE=Maurice Ungaro]
Hey Mau!
Good Rap, thanks, Question for you sir??? Can you hear SWMBO while the running tool is being squelched, or the in between times with device on your ears:confused:
Thanks again very informative.;)

Gads, if I can still hear SWMBO with them on, I may have to reconsider! :D :cool:

[Maurice Ungaro]

Tyler & John:
I can still hear SWMBO, but it's more of a quiet voice ....like my conscience teling me I'm doing something wrong!!

Maurice

[Jeremy Niemann]

I use the Peltor Worktunes that have the built in radio. While I would have preferred to have some kind of plain regular muffs over something like an iPod for music, the worktunes were cheaper than an iPod. The radio tuner isn't the greatest, but about what I expected really. Personally I don't mind not being able to hear the phone or SO while wearing ear protection :-)

[Steven Wilson]

I have earmuffs in the shop but find that I only use them if I'm going to be working at a machine for a fairly long period of time - not good enough ! So, I started wearing earplugs on a cord. I keep them around my neck all of the time I'm in the shop. I've gotten into the habit of putting them in my ear before turning on any powertool or hitting metal with a hammer. Hearing protection only works if you use it, so find something that you'll use.

[Dean Baumgartner]

My vote is for the foam earplugs with the attached cord.
At work I frequently spend a lot of time in areas requireing hearing protection and can't tell you how many times I've gone home or out to lunch with a pair of earplugs still tied through the top button hole on my shirt. I guess I've gotten used to the feel of the foam plugs and with them on a cord they are always handy. The other reason that I use the foam plugs is that the better ones have a NRR of 29 dB when properly inserted. It is critical that the plugs be fully seated in the ear.

Since they are a requirement in many of my work areas everybody wears them but you see a lot of people that don't use them properly.

I've taken to using them when using any of the powered yard equipment as well as in the shop when I realized that while it may only be a few minutes running power tools in the shop the yard work is more like 3-4 hours every week during the summer.

Don't limit your use of adequate hearing protection to just in the shop, be mindful of where else you are exposed to loud noises.


Dean

[Earl Reid]

I use the peltor muffs which work OK. After many years working in a powerhouse. I have a hearing loss and now wear hearing aids($5000 plus).
We used, "sound bans", foam plugs etc, but they didn't realy help overcome the noise from steam turbo generators ,fans and coal mills etc. Better wear the best you can get.
Earl

[Mark Stutz]

fFoam ear plugs go in At the same time the prescription safety glasses go on as I enter the shop. I have never found them uncomfortable and often forget to take them out! I can still listen to the radio with them in. When the shopvac, router, CMs, and other high noise machines go on, ear muffs go on top. While the noise reduction is not additive, it is improved. Of course the all come out when I'm hand planing so that I can hear that gentle whoosh!

[Jim Becker]

I use two types of hearing protection in the shop. Most of the time, it's a "wand" type set of earplugs from AO Safety:

http://209.200.67.149/aosafety.com/prod_images/90537.jpg

But when I remember to take them out with me, I've lately been using my Bose Quiet Comfort-II active headphones as I can keep them on for a long period of time and still hear the radio when I'm not using a noisy tool. I truly recommend an active headphone solution if you can afford one (shooters use them all the time from what I understand), but the above earplugs are very, very comfortable to use and don't accidently fall out like simple plugs sometimes do on certain ears.

[Pat Salter]

At work it is a requirement for me to issue "eyes" and "ears" (think - safety goggles and ear muffs) whenever one of the guys are going to use equipment. Since I have never had good hearing (my ears came defective, but everything else works!) I really push making sure they have them. Sometimes if one of the guys is going to use the planer (VERY noisey :eek: ) I make everyone in the shop put on a pair. If we are going to use anything for any length of time I put in the foamies and then put on the muffs. Sometimes they *itch and moan about it but then, they moan and groan about everything anyway :rolleyes:. Ever notice that the guys with the loss are usually the biggest pushers of those things? or any other safety gear.

I just told LOML that I would like one of the electronic type for Christmas. It shouldn't be a problem cause I've been a GOOD boy :D . You believe that, right? If so, I've got a bridge for sale....

[Kent Cori]

Basic earmuffs for anything noiser than my DP. However, I fly a great deal so I will be asking Santa for some Bose Quiet Comfort-II active headphones or "equal". The Bose units are a bit pricey so if anyone has found a cheaper, similar performing unit I'd sure like to hear about it.

[Andy Pedler]

This is a great thread, as hearing protection is a must.

I used to work in a coal fired power plant and we wore those foam inserts 8 hours a day. I'd go through 2 pair a day. They are great, but not the most comfortable things to wear all the time. Also, if you don't put them in right every time, you can actually pack earwax up in your ear canal and cause other problems (believe it or not, the union put together a training class on this topic!).

That said, the foam inserts work better than anything else. I now wear the heavy-duty wraparound earmuffs, though. They're more comfortable, easier to put on/take off, and are only a couple db worse than the foam inserts.

There was a big article on this subject in Pop Woodworking not long ago. Anyone interested should look it up. Feel free to e-mail me if you can't find it and I can track down the issue and fax you a copy.

[John Miliunas]

Hey Andy, I see you tried to slip under the radar with your first post! :rolleyes: What, thought you could get out of the "pictures required for gloats, projects and just about anything else" lecture? :p No such luck, I'm afraid! At any rate, thanks for the info and offer on the article. In the meantime, WELCOME to the Creek, Andy! :D I see by your post, you're getting into the spirit right off the get-go. Way to go! :) Great place to hang out with a LOT of great people. Come often, stay long and don't forget the pics or the wrath of Tyler & Chris will come upon you! :) :cool:

[Lee Schierer]

I have Peltor ear muffs and they are quite comfortable even with glasses. I probably don't wear them as much as I should in the shop though. I always put them on running the routers or planer. The TS, BS and jointer aren't usually very loud or on very long. We definitely wear them when ever we mow the lawn or run the chain saw and gas weed trimmer.

I was in Rocklers the other day and saw their noise reduction muffs Rockler Muffs (http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?&offerings_id=11119) and wondered if anyone had tried them and how they compare to the higher priced models.

Santa is looking for ideas for me.

[Chris Padilla]

http://www.soundproofing.org/sales/ear_muffs.htm

I found this on the place I plan to buy my soundproofing stuff from for my garage rehab. It might be another alternative for hearing protection.

[Bill Marcheck]

Basic earmuffs for anything noiser than my DP. However, I fly a great deal so I will be asking Santa for some Bose Quiet Comfort-II active headphones or "equal". The Bose units are a bit pricey so if anyone has found a cheaper, similar performing unit I'd sure like to hear about it.

Kent,

For travel (and the shop) have a look at the "in ear"headphones. These headphones use foam or silicon ear plugs that you form and stick in your ear. They have good sound isolation and depending on how much you spend they are as good as headphones get.

If you are thinking about the high price Bose headphones, definitely go with an Etymotic.

Starting from the best, here's a few brands.

www.etymotic.com
- can find good prices on ebay
www.shure.com
www.koss.com
- cheap but not that great sounding
here's some others:
http://www.audiocubes.com/product_info.php?products_id=950



Bill