The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

You are here: Home / Safety Third? / Safety Sunday: Protect your hearing

Safety Sunday: Protect your hearing

Have you ever heard a slight ringing in your ears, maybe after mowing, shooting, or attending a concert? That is the first sign that you may have damaged your hearing, or are about to – hopefully it is just limited to the ringing sound, and is not permanent. Unfortunately for me, I fall into the latter category, which is one reason I do not like crowded or noisy places – it is nearly impossible for me to hear others with all the background noise.

How loud is too loud:


As you can see by the chart above, noise ranging from 85 to 88 dB (decibels – a measure to rate how “loud” something is) can start causing hearing issues after 8 hours. The catch is that for every 3 dB increase, the amount of time till you may experience is halved – thus @ 88 – 91 it now only takes 4 hours, 91 to 94 only takes 2 hours, etc… Oh and there is one other catch – it is cumulative, so going from a noisy factory, driving home through traffic, and then mowing the grass all adds up.

Some common dB levels around the house:

  • 10 dB Normal breathing
  • 10-20 dB Rustling leaves
  • 20-30 dB Whispering to one another
  • 30-40 dB Stream, Fountain, Babbling Brook
  • 50-65 dB Normal conversation
  • 70-80 dB Household appliances, hairdryers, etc… (Annoying but not theoretically damaging)
  • 85-105 dB Lawnmowers, leaf blowers, gas powered tools
  • 95-105 dB Farm tractor, Snowmobile, Jet Ski
  • 110+ dB Jackhammer, power saw, chain saw
  • 130-140 dB Shooting a Shotgun, Rifle, or Pistol

Protect your hearing:

While working with any power tools, nailing, or just mowing the grass you should wear hearing protection. The choices here are endless & range from disposable foam earplugs, to high-end Auto Noise Reducing earmuffs. Currently, I have been using the product shown above which complies with ANSI S3.19-1974. It has a NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) of 28 db, which reduces the 110 dB items down to a safe 82 dB level, and still allows me to hear someone trying to get my attention.

Proper Care & Maintenance:

  • Wipe earmuffs with a damp cloth after each use, store them in a safe place, and replace cushions when they lose their resilience.
  • Wash reusable earplugs every day, store them in a clean case, and replace if plugs are hard or discolored.
  • Wipe canal caps (headband plugs) with a damp cloth after each use, store them in a safe place so the headband will not be bent or twisted, and replace if the band is damaged and/or no longer fits comfortably.

Additional Info & Web Sites

Tool Box Talk by Specific Trade from University of Washington
OSHA Hearing Selector
OSHA Standards 29 CFR 1910.095
NIOSH / CDC Hearing Protection Guide & Resources

Related posts:

20 Point Quick “Firewise” Building Checklist
Warning; this book may shock you or possibly start a fire
Safety Sunday: To Toss or Keep the Food?
Safety Sunday: SkillsUSA & Safety
Thanksgiving Day – A quick moment for safety & to say thanks
Safety Sunday: 5 Common Sense Tips for Driving in the Rain
Safety Sunday: Don’t be that Guy… & 4 tips for venturing out after the storm
Safety Sunday: Space Heaters & Smoke Detectors
Tweet

Filed Under: Safety Third? Tagged With: Safety Sunday October 10, 2010 By SLS

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    October 10, 2010 at 18:08

    Great posting, Sean! The key take-away for me is the need to match protection to activity, via the db/duration chart you provided. It’s interesting to me that the median db level in the “Lawnmower/Leafblower” portion of the chart (about 95 db) corresponds to about 30 mins to one hour’s worth of activity for damage to occur, which is just about the same amount of time many of us spend mowing a lawn or cleaning up with a leafblower. I don’t think I’ve ever used hearing protection in these particular activities. But I will from now on.

  2. Anonymous says

    August 4, 2020 at 19:19

    Great posting, Sean! The key take-away for me is the need to match protection to activity, via the db/duration chart you provided. It’s interesting to me that the median db level in the “Lawnmower/Leafblower” portion of the chart (about 95 db) corresponds to about 30 mins to one hour’s worth of activity for damage to occur, which is just about the same amount of time many of us spend mowing a lawn or cleaning up with a leafblower. I don’t think I’ve ever used hearing protection in these particular activities. But I will from now on.

Featured Posts

February – Winter Maintenance Checklist

Ahhh February, we are now in the second full month of winter and many people in the northern states and elsewhere are starting to feel run down from a lack ...

Read More

Getting ready for Spring: Your deck & grill

Hopefully, this last snow storm was it for spring (really?) meaning most of us can start getting ready to grill and get back to enjoying the great outdoors. Needless to ...

Read More

Taxes, Record Keeping, & Clearing the Clutter

Taxes, Record Keeping, & Clearing the Clutter

Oh no, it’s April 16th and taxes were due… are due on the 18th? In reality, my taxes were actually filed back in February, but if this were any other ...

Read More

FAQ: Should I close my crawl space vents during winter?

FAQ: Should I close my crawl space vents during winter?

In short the answer is generally yes, they should be closed up during the winter months. If you follow our Monthly Maintenance Schedule, we recommend the month of October as ...

Read More

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

If you follow our Monthly Maintenance Program, the first item we have listed is "Change out your HVAC filter." This has brought up a few questions, namely: Do I need ...

Read More

FAQ: Exterior HVAC units - Should I cover my unit, or... fall & wintertime questions

When it comes to the exterior HVAC unit most people wonder about hiding them and reducing the amount of noise. We delved into that topic in our Spring & Summer ...

Read More

FAQ: Ceiling fan direction - summer & winter

One of the biggest questions out there is which direction should my fan be running and how can I tell. You look at the switch and realize it isn't any ...

Read More

The HTRC - Copyright © 2006–2023 by TheHTRC.com & SLS Construction & Building Solutions LLC http://SLS-Construction.com