Work-related noise exposure is one of the major contributors to hearing loss and tinnitus. While noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) can happen in every industry, it is more likely to affect people who work in industries like manufacturing, mining, and oil/gas extraction, carpentry, construction, and agriculture. Additionally, many military personnel are also at risk of NIHL. Exposure to noise and high sound levels can also result in tinnitus – a constant sound in your ears or head.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is often described as a ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like roaring, clicking, or buzzing. This can be soft or loud, high pitched or low pitched. A person with tinnitus might hear it in either one or both ears. Most often, tinnitus is caused by exposure to loud noise over time. Working in noisy surroundings for many years without using protective equipment increases the risk of developing tinnitus as well as hearing loss. Anyone can suffer from ringing in their ears after exposure to excessive loud noise. When this happens, it is advisable to seek quieter surroundings or wear hearing protection.
Use hearing protection
Hearing protection such as earplugs and earmuffs can help prevent tinnitus and NIHL. You should always wear hearing protection when subjected to loud noise, even if you do not find the noise uncomfortably loud. Hearing loss at higher frequencies is often painless, and the most common result is tinnitus.
It is also important to keep in mind that damage to the hair cells in the inner ear accumulates over time. After constant exposure to loud noises, it takes less to develop tinnitus or hearing loss. Even a single incident of exposure to extremely loud noise, such as fireworks or other explosions or a gunshot fired close to the ear can trigger hearing loss or tinnitus.
The right fit matters
Poor fitting hearing earmuffs or earplugs can prevent you from obtaining proper protection for your ears. There is really no excuse for not having proper hearing protection, as a lot of time and millions of dollars in development around the world has allowed manufacturers to come up with a multitude of solutions for every possible situation in the workplace. Earmuffs now come in different styles such as earmuff headbands, neckband earmuff’s and more. Additionally, some earmuffs can be mounted onto hard hats and welding helmets.
When earmuffs or earplugs are worn in a hot environment, users might want to temporarily remove the hearing protection device to wipe the sweat from their ears which leaves the ears unprotected. In this case, the risk of hearing deterioration increases by up to nine times. In such a warm environment, the solution is to use both earplugs and earmuffs simultaneously. There are several types of earplugs that you can choose for your application: pre-molded, push-in earplugs, corded earplugs, disposable or reusable earplugs.
Get your hearing protection today
Southland Supply Group offers a range of hearing protection devices to help you avoid work-related hearing loss and tinnitus. For further information, please contact us or ring our team at 1800 77 22 91 or visit our website at https://www.southland.com.au/ for a complete range of personal and site safety equipment.