Selecting Hearing Protectors—It's the Fit That Counts -- Occupational Health & Safety (2024)

Selecting Hearing Protectors—It's the Fit That Counts

In addition to selecting HPDs and documenting the PAR achieved by each worker, hearing protector fit testing is a critical component to worker training.

• By Ted Madison
• Oct 01, 2016

From disposable to reusable, basic ear muffs and communication-enabled headphones with a built-in AM/FM radio, there is an enormous variety of Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs) on the market. Selecting the right HPD can seem daunting when considering all of the options available and the unique needs of each worker on site.

For every workplace and for each individual worker, circ*mstances vary due to noise exposures, working conditions, methods of communication, and individual preferences. Ear shapes and sizes also vary widely, so much so that scientists are discovering that ears could be one of the most accurate yet least intrusive ways to identify someone. With this in mind, hearing protection challenges cannot be met with a one-size-fits-all approach. But selecting the right hearing protection is easier than you think. The task of finding the right solution can be boiled down to finding equipment that achieves the right balance of comfort, noise reduction, ease of use, and fit.

"Fit" is truly the key. As it turns out, nearly any hearing protector worn correctly and for the entire time a person is exposed to loud noise will provide more effective protection than other devices that don't fit well, aren’t properly worn, or aren't worn as long as they should be. So, with all these different types of hearing protectors, how do employers find the right fit? This article will touch on the qualifications employers need to check off their list to make sure they’re selecting the right HPDs for their workforce.

HPD Selection Checklist

Comfort
A comfortable hearing protector that fits is more likely to be worn correctly and longer than an uncomfortable HPD. If hearing protectors aren't worn for the entire time a person is exposed to hazardous sounds, the effective protection for that person drops dramatically, as shown in the wear time chart. For example, wearing hearing protection seven hours in an eight-hour workday can cause the effectiveness of the HPD to drop by more than half (NIOSH, 1996).

Figure 1. From NIOSH publication 96-110, Preventing Occupational Hearing Loss—A Practical Guide

Comfort is also instrumental in getting the user to be willing to comply with the company's hearing conservation program and wear his or her HPD. Comfort is influenced by:

This article originally appeared in the October 2016 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.