Download Hearing Protection

Hearing
Protection
Training
PART 1 – THE PROBLEM
© Copyright SHS 2006
Who is UniSafe?
UniSafe® is a brand manufactured and distributed by
Scott Health and Safety. The company behind the brand,
Scott Health & Safety, has been manufacturing high
quality personal protection equipment in Australia for over
65 years.
UniSafe is striving to make the workplace safer for
everyone with head, face, hearing and respiratory
equipment that is effective and comfortable.
When it comes to personal safety, achieving and exceeding
Australian and New Zealand standards is our aim, and
compromise is not an option.
Training Requirements
Objective

To ensure AS/NZS 1269.3:2005 Hearing
Protection Program for Hearing Conservation
against noise exposure, are achieved.

To protect your invaluable sense of hearing.
Why is hearing protection important?

It is a noisy planet, whether at work, home
or leisure

Some of those noises (unwanted sound)
may damage your ears and prevent you
from hearing important sounds

Once damage
irreversible
has
occurred
it
is
How does hearing work?
Hammer
Anvil
Pinna
Stirrup
Semicircular
canals
Auditory
Nerves
Outer Ear
Canal
Cochlea
Eardrum
Eustachian
Tube
Damage to the Cilia is Irreversible
Fig A
Scanning electron micrograph
showing normal appearance
of three rows outer hair cells
and tectorial membrane (TM).
Fig B
Degenerating outer hair cells
resulting from a 6- hour
exposure to a 1-2 KHz octave
band noise of 117 dB SPL.
BEFORE
AFTER
(Lim, D.J & Melnick.W, 1971, Archives of Otolaryngology, 94, 294-305)
Types of Injuries
Hitting an object with
a part of the body
Falls/Trips/Slips
Others
Heat / Radiation
Sound/Pressure
Hit by moving
object
Source: New South Wales WorkCover 2001
Severity of Ear Injuries
Less than 6 Months
Permanent Disability
6 months and over
Source: New South Wales WorkCover 2001
Effects of Noise Exposure
What Exposure to Loud Noise Will Do

Exposure to loud noise will inevitably
cause hearing loss over time.

Loud noise damages or destroys the
nerves in the inner ear.

Another effect can be “tinnitus” or
permanent ringing in the ear.
Effects of Noise Exposure
Duration, Intensity and Frequency

Our ears can recover from short exposure to loud noise, but
over time nerve damage will occur.

The longer and louder the noise, the greater chance
permanent damage will occur.

High exposure to various pitches
can interfere with our ear’s ability
to pick up sounds at certain
frequencies i.e. “m”, “i”, “e”
Effects of Noise Exposure
Hearing Loss from Noise Exposure

Hearing loss from noise exposure is
usually not noticed because it is so
gradual.

Usually a person looses the ability
to hear higher pitches first.

Often the first noticeable effect is
difficulty in hearing speech.
Effects of Noise Exposure
Tinnitus from Noise Exposure

Exposure to high noise levels can also cause permanent
ringing in the ear called “tinnitus”.

Tinnitus sufferers usually complain of constant whistling,
squealing, roaring or buzzing in one or both ears.

Severe tinnitus may disrupt sleep,
reduce concentration and cause
irritability and depression.
Effects of Noise Exposure
What is too much Noise Exposure?
Exposure to noise levels above  Studies indicate Noise is:
115 decibels for even 5
- Anxiety, Lack of
concentration, Reduced
minutes is very risky.
productivity (Noise & its effects, Suter,
1991)
 Impact or banging noise
- Heart Disease (Federal
above 140 decibels will cause
environmental agency Germany, 2004)
immediate damage to nerves
- Elevated blood pressure
(Univ. of Michigan, 2004)
in the ear.

Effects of Noise Exposure
When is Noise too Loud?

Noise is measured in units called “decibels” or “dB”

If two people 3 feet apart must shout to be heard, the
background noise is too loud (above 85 decibels).

Noise above 140 decibels causes pain and immediate
hearing loss.
Duration
Noise (dB)
Permissible (Hrs)
Exposure (Mins)
82
85
88
91
94
97
100
115
16
8
4
2
1
0
0
0
—
—
—
—
—
30
15
0
Duration
Wear your hearing protector
100% of the time

In Noisy areas removing hearing
protection” just for a minute” is not
recommended.

Sometimes people will remove
hearing protection for “just a
minute” in a noisy area.

If you wear a 30dB earmuff for
99% of the time its actual
performance drops to 20dB
Intensity
Jet Aircraft Takeoff (25m away)  Drilling Concrete
 Chainsaw  Truck  Rock Concert
Lawn Mower  Busy Road
Telephone  Power Mower 
Loud Radio
Conversation  Vacuum Cleaner
 Business Office
Living Room  Library 
Quiet Office
Bedroom  Leaves Rustling
Frequency
15000 Hz
10,000 Hz
5000 Hz
1000 Hz
100 Hz
20-50 KHz
Human
Hearing
Range
Noise Levels
Noisy areas and equipment
at our Company
Lets discuss your noisy
equipment and noise sources
and their noise levels here.