Rain and noise has one thing in common
If you walk out in heavy rain without a raincoat you will get wet in a couple of minutes. If you then choose to use your umbrella it is too late, you will be wet for the rest of the day!
It is the same with noise. After just a few minutes without hearing protectors in a noisy environment the damage is already done. Even if you then wear a hearing protector for the rest of the day your hearing has already been exposed to more than the ear can take. A few minutes carelessness a day will harm your hearing almost as much as being in a noisy environment for a whole day without a hearing protector.
Damaged hearing can never be repaired. To guarantee you full protection you must wear your hearing protector 100% of the time you are in a noisy environment.

The ear - a sensitive instrument!
The ear is a very sensitive organ, vital for our well-being, and essential for us to be able to serve in a modern society. Hearing affects our communication and social contacts with other humans and is the most important organ for learning.
Have you spoken on the phone lately? Have you considered that after just a couple of words can identify hundreds of different people? Another important function of the hearing is to warn us of dangers.
We can detect the direction of the danger and what type of danger it is. Providing the hearing is preserved......

Noise in the workplace and at home
Exposure to noise whether at home or at work can cause permanent, irreversible damage to your hearing. Noise induced hearing loss provides a lot of negative factors, both to the employer and the individual. First of all by human suffering, but also stress, pain, tinnitus etc can lead to social handicap.
The ears are not adapted to the noise levels we are being exposed to in our every-day environment. Noise from industries, traffic and leisure noises from engines, shooting & hunting, loud music etc is damaging our hearing.
Today there are a lot of protective products available that should ensure noise induced hearing loss is totally un-necessary!

When should actions against noise take place?
From April 2006 the new European Directive 2003/10/EC lays down minimum requirements for the protection of workers from risks to their health and safety arising or likely to arise from exposure to noise and in particular the risk to hearing.
The lower exposure action value is at a daily personal level of 80 dB(A) during 8 hours. At this level hearing protectors must be made available to workers.
The upper exposure action level is at 85 dB(A) where hearing protectors must be worn.
The third level, called exposure limit value, is at 87 dB(A) and under no circumstances shall the exposure of the worker exceed this limit. If you are exposed to any of the above exposure levels without wearing hearing protection, there is a great risk that you may suffer permanent hearing damage.
The peak action level means an equivalent peak sound pressure level of 140 dB(C). A situation where, for example, a gun may be fired, hearing protection must be worn.

If you are exposed to any of the above action levels without wearing hearing protection, there is a great risk that you may suffer permanent hearing damage.
To protect your hearing is easy - with appropriate products, motivation and by wearing the hearing protection 100% of the time you are exposed to hazardous noise levels.

Comfort - a condition for 100% wearing time.
Low weight and a minimum of headband pressure go without saying. But also consider that having too large a cup can interfere with your daily work or other safety equipment. The hearing protector you choose must be used all the time you are exposed to high noise levels. If not, adequate protection can no longer be guaranteed. Study the graph below and you will understand the consequences if you neglect that. If you only remove the hearing protector as little as 5 minutes a day (to talk to someone, answer the phone, listen to the radio etc) the protective ability of the product is reduced by 50%! You can also see that an increase of the noise with 3 dB reduces the allowed exposure time by 50%.

Noise attenuation
It is important that the hearing protection used provide enough attenuation
to protect the hearing. But it is also important that it doesn't give too
high attenuation so you get overprotected. Overprotection can prevent you
from hearing your workmates, alarms and other important signals. We
recommend the sound level under the hearing protector to be between 70 - 80
dB.

To be able to calculate attenuation you must know which noise level (quoted
in dB(A)) you are exposed to as well as the characteristics of the noise (H
= high frequency (treble), M = medium frequency or L = low frequency
(base)). You must also know the attenuation values (H, M and L) of the
product, which are found in the user information provided with the product.

Examples of noise:

Noise source
Level (dB(A))
Characteristics

Electric machines 90-110 H

Farm tractors 85 – 100 L

Industrial ventilation 90 – 110 L

Diesel engines 90 – 120 L

Chain saws 90 – 110 M or H

Wood industrie 90 – 110 H

General industrial noise 90 – 110 L, M or H

Airports 100 – 140 H

Guns 140 – 180 (peak) H

Calculation example:
Work situation Cutting of chip board with a circular saw
Noise level 105 dB(A)

Characteristics H = high frequency noise
Selected product Sordin FM Pro with sound attenuation H = 30 dB
Sound level under the ear muff is 105 - 30 = 75 dB(A) which is in between the recommended levels, therefore a suitable product.

For a more accurate selection calculation we recommend the HML-method.
Contact us for more information.

Motivation
Continuous workplace measurements, training of employees and follow up on noise induced hearing losses is vital to maintain a high degree of motivation. It is also important that appropriate warning signs are used in high noise areas.

Maintenance
A hearing protector requires regular maintenance to preserve its performance levels. It is very important to regularly replace the cushions to keep them soft and comfortable so they can provide an appropriate seal.
If you use the ear muffs on a daily basis we recommend that the hygiene kit be replaced at least twice a year.

Function
Available today, there is a range of hearing protection with built-in electronics, which offer a lot of new alternatives in hearing conservation.
FM radio and Level Dependent functions and being able to connect the hearing protector to various external equipment, really eliminates a lot the excuses for not wearing ear muffs.
First of all it is important that the hearing protector can be used in combination with other protective equipment such as helmets and visors. But it is also important to analyse the need for communication in order to get the optimal solution.

A couple of examples Type of problem Solution
The need for face-to-face communication Try Sordin CutOffwith workmates. Working environment where it is crucial Try Sordin CutOffto hear surrounding sounds and importantsignals (road works etc).
Important to use the mobile phone while working. Try headsets, Sordin CC
I would like to listen to the radio. Try Sordin FM
I need to hear calls on my communication Radio. Try Sordin Listen Only

Things to consider when a hearing protector is selected:

1. Comfort. Choose a hearing protector that you are prepared to use 100%of the time you are exposed to high noise levels.
2. Compatibility. Select a hearing protector that works with your other equipment such as mobile or DECT phone, communication radio, safety goggles, helmets, visors, respiratory products etc
3. Noise attenuation. Check that the product has appropriate noise attenuation. It should only be high enough to protect you from hazardous noise levels. To high attenuation can make you feel isolated and shut out ambient sounds such as alarms and other important signals.
4 Motivation. Through training and information it is easy to be motivated to protect the hearing.
5. Maintenance. By replacing hygiene kits and keeping the ear muffs clean they will be more pleasant and hygienic to use.