Years ago, I worked in a window and door factory. During that time, I saw a lot of employees who didn’t bother putting in their earplugs or earmuffs if they were using the equipment for just a minute.

We had this one older guy who used to catch them and would take them aside. “Don’t hurry, just do it right,” he’d tell them. “The time it takes to do your job safely is the time it takes to do your job.”

It didn’t matter whether we’d been there for a few weeks or a few years, he’d remind us never to put our hearing at risk.

Noise Exposure: A Serious Hazard

Everyone wants to be as productive as they can be when they’re working. It’s can be very rewarding to find ways to streamline your job so you can get more done, and get it done faster.

Unfortunately, that usually means rushing through tasks or cutting corners, often without putting on the right PPE.

When you’re trying to do things as quickly as possible, PPE starts looking less like a safety measure and more like an obstacle. The cut-resistant gloves, the safety glasses, the earplugs – getting them and putting them on would just slow you down, especially if you’re only doing a brief task.

That’s never a good idea. In the case of hearing protection, working without earplugs or ear muffs when you need them will cause damage to your eardrums. Over time, that damage will result in hearing loss that is permanent and irreversible.

Noise Standards

OSHA’s noise standard (29 CFR 1910.95) requires employers to have a hearing conservation program in place if workers are exposed to a time-weighted average (TWA) noise level of 85 decibels (dBA) or higher over an 8-hour work shift. Eighty-five decibels may seem high, but it doesn’t take much for an industrial setting or construction site to get that noisy.

Noise levels above 105dB endured for more than 15 minutes each week can damage your hearing. Lower levels (between 80dB and 90dB) can also cause permanent damage if you’re exposed to them for hours every day.

To get a sense of what those numbers mean, here are some examples of typical noise levels:

  • Lawn mower: 85dB
  • Hand drill: 98dB
  • Motorbikes: 100dB
  • Chainsaw: 115-120dB

Warning Signs for Hearing Damage

Be alert to some of the signs that they may have suffered hearing damage:

  • Ringing or buzzing (tinnitus) in your ears after exposure to noise
  • Hearing people talking but having difficulty understanding them after exposure to noise
  • Experiencing a feeling of “fullness” in your ears after leaving a noisy area

Regular hearing tests can help with early detection of hearing loss. Hearing loss is irreversible, but knowing you’ve lost some of your hearing means you’re in a position to take steps to prevent further damage.

Preventing Hearing Loss

Protecting your hearing is really quite simple. All you have to do is:

  • Wear the hearing protection you’ve been given by your employer while operating loud equipment
  • Wear your earplugs or earmuffs around anyone using power tools or machinery (if you’re in earshot, you’re at risk, even if you’re not the one using the equipment)
  • Take breaks from the noisy environment whenever you can
  • Don’t drown out the noise with music or earbuds (drowning out the noise with more noise only increases your risk of hearing loss)

Making Time for Safety

With a good hearing conservation plan, hearing loss is entirely preventable. It is always worth the time to protect yourself properly against any workplace hazard. Your health will benefit in the long run.