Hearing protection guides
Duties, attenuation values, standards and practice: explained briefly for purchasing, health and safety professionals and managers in noisy companies. Every statement with a source.
- 01
When is hearing protection required at work?
From 80 dB(A) employers must provide hearing protection, from 85 dB(A) it must be worn. All duties under EU Directive 2003/10/EC, with UK and Irish rules.
- 02
SNR and H/M/L: what the attenuation values mean
What the SNR value means, how to read H, M and L and how to calculate the level at the ear. With an attenuation table for all EarProtect products.
- 03
Overprotection: when hearing protection attenuates too much
Why a level below 70 dB(A) at the ear is a problem, how to recognise overprotection and how to choose suitable hearing protection. With worked examples.
- 04
EN 352: the standard for hearing protection
EN 352-1 for earmuffs, EN 352-2 for earplugs, EN 352-3 for helmet-mounted earmuffs: what the standard covers, how to read the marking, what PPE category III means.
- 05
How to insert earplugs correctly
Step by step: roll, insert and hold foam earplugs. How to use flanged and banded earplugs correctly, how to check the fit and which mistakes to avoid.
- 06
Foam, silicone or TPE: disposable or reusable?
Foam, silicone or TPE: material, attenuation, insertion, cleaning and replacement compared. When disposable and when reusable earplugs are the better choice.
- 07
Detectable hearing protection in the food industry
Why earplugs in food production should be blue and metal-detectable, which machines are loud and what matters for foreign body control.
- 08
Hearing protection training: duties, content, template
Free PDF template (in German) with agenda, exercise, poster and record. When hearing protection training is required and what it should cover.
- 09
Hearing protection for people who wear glasses
Spectacle arms can break the seal of earmuffs. What DGUV Rule 112-194 recommends for people who wear glasses and which hearing protection suits them.
- 10
Noise levels at work: measured values by machine and trade
Measured sound levels of angle grinders, circular saws, bowl choppers and more, each with its source. Plus daily exposures by trade and the EU action values.