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wORK ear Plugs

PPE Ear plugs

In certain sectors such as Construction, Manufacturing and Utilities, it’s common for the workplace environment to be loud - either with machinery, tasks being carried out or from sudden noises.

 

Hearing protection in the workplace is essential to reduce the risk of employees suffering from:

  • Temporary or permanent hearing damage

  • Complete hearing loss

 

Be aware that hearing damage can also progress over time if an individual is constantly exposed to noise over 85 decibels. Hearing damage or loss can make an employee’s job much harder as they may struggle to hear verbal instructions or fail to notice safety alarms sounding.

 

Work ear plugs can be an affordable and immediate PPE solution to block out noise and provide hearing protection.

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Earplugs are inserted into the outer ear canal. Used correctly, they will block the ear canal with an airtight seal. As well as offering hearing protection, PPE ear plugs can also promote good ear health by keeping them clear of foreign bodies and dust.

 

By law, you must provide hearing protection to employees who ask for it due to excessive noise. Ear plugs are a cost effective and easy to implement PPE measure which could have an instant effect.

 

It is useful to carry out your own risk assessments to identify hearing protection zones within your workplace and to provide employees with training to raise awareness about the importance of wearing ear plugs as part of their PPE.

 

DCC offer the following hearing protection options to meet the requirements of:

 

  • EN352 –1 (Earmuffs)

  • EN352 –2 (Earplugs)

  • EN352 –3 (Earmuffs attached to safety helmets), 2002

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Features

 

Ear plugs should be easy to insert and comfortable to wear. The key features to look for when choosing ear plugs are:

 

  • Type of ear plug: ear plugs can either be disposable or corded or banded.

 

  • Material: disposable earplugs are generally made from memory foam and can be rolled up for insertion into the ear. Corded or banded ear plugs will usually be made from polyurethane for durability and comfort.

 

  • Insertion: disposable ear plugs are manually inserted into the ear canal using the fingers.

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Key sectors

Key sectors where work ear plugs are most widely used include:

 

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