Many people have problems with their vision, but you would not deliberately make it worse. You wouldn’t work in a chemical lab without eye protection, or handle hot industrial materials without the correct gloves. However by not wearing hearing protection you may be damaging your hearing at work and in everyday life.

Custom-made hearing protection

Hearing protection made to the shape of your ears can offer increased comfort over standardised earplug sizes. For this reason they are more comfortable to wear for extended periods and can provide a closer seal to fit the shape of your ear.

Some people may not know about using necessary hearing protection, and some people may know but choose not to use it. But there are different types of hearing protection available, including a range of modern instruments which can give you more sophisticated and comfortable hearing protection than some more traditional methods. Newer hearing protection can be tailor-made to fit your ear canals, giving a tighter seal against your ears and improved comfort for long periods of time.

A hearing test is recommended at least annually for anyone exposed to loud noises at work or as part of their lifestyle. This is important as an early warning for any potential change in hearing.

Do I risk hearing loss at work?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of these questions then you may be facing excessive noise at work:

• Are you using noisy machinery or power tools for over 30 minutes per day?
• Do you find the noise to be intrusive for most of the day?
• For at least part of the day, do you have to raise your voice to have a conversation with someone two metres away?

If you are finding it harder to hear clearly by the end of the day, even if it has gone back to normal the next day, your hearing is at risk and you should be wearing the correct hearing protection, such as custom-made hearing protection that can offer improved comfort in a range of materials, colours and styles to suit you.

Passive noise suppression as part of your work and lifestyle

People in many different work and leisure environments may find themselves exposed to high noise levels which could lead to noise-induced hearing loss. Unlike muscle or skin the ears cannot be toughened up with repeat exposure in a work or leisure environment. Hearing hair cells and cilia do not regenerate after being damaged, and unfortunately damage to your hearing is damage for life. But custom-made hearing protection can provide the solution.

If loud noises don’t affect you any more, or affect you significantly more than normal, you may already have some hearing loss. A hearing check could be a good way of finding out if you have a hearing loss, and our trained Hearing Aid Audiologists can also tell you more about how your hearing works, and how to prevent damage to your hearing. A hearing test is highly recommended at least annually for anyone who finds themselves exposed to loud noises at work or as part of their lifestyle. This is important as an early warning for any potential change in hearing.

Custom made hearing protection is a strong solution. Earplugs specifically created to fit the shape of your ears can be worn for long periods of time whilst offering superior electronic noise protection and a custom-fitted level of comfort.

You can find our full range of hearing products on display at all of our Hearing Centres.

Tree Work and Agriculture

Lasting damage to your hearing can be caused by repeat exposure to the loud noise created by machinery like tractors, combine harvesters and wood chippers or equipment like power tools, chainsaws and circular saws. The damage can happen gradually and even short periods of exposure can cause damage to hearing that mounts up over time.

If traditional protective ear muffs or standard-fit ear plugs are uncomfortable and need constant readjustment, then it may be worthwhile to consider custom-made hearing protection which is moulded and fitted to your ears for superior comfort and a closer seal against the natural shape of the ear.

Trades, Industry and the Armed Forces

Hearing loss is not always just a product of age. Damage to the ears which leads to hearing loss can be caused by poor hearing protection in many lines of work, including:

• Building
• Serving in the Armed Forces
• Road Maintenance
• Sheet-Metal work and Panel Beating
• Factory work including Assembly Lines
• Welding
• Mining
• Industrial Printing

Machinery in all of these lines of work can produce a high level of sound, so it is crucial to wear the correct hearing protection. Even if loud noise may only be for a short time, if it is regular then it can start to have a cumulative effect on the hearing. For example, continued exposure to sounds over 85 dBA without protection is very likely to result in hearing loss, and equipment like chainsaws measure at about 100 dBA.

Although ear defenders are required by law in most areas of high-noise work, twenty to thirty years ago this was not as strictly enforced. Some generations could be experiencing hearing damage from previous work, and may even require help with hearing aids.

Unlike muscle or skin the ears cannot be toughened up with repeat exposure. Permanent noise-related hearing loss cannot be fixed once the damage has been done. The best way to avoid permanent hearing loss is to use the right protection from the start, and there are different types of hearing protection available.

If standard hearing protection you may have at work is uncomfortable or badly-fitting, you may want to consider custom-made hearing protection. This is created by taking a mould of your ear canals and producing a new mould in a material like plastic or silicone which fits the exact shape of your ear. This can give you superior comfort and a tighter seal against the natural shape of your ear, so that you wear hearing protection for long periods of time.

Music

DJs, professional musicians and music lovers could benefit from hearing protection like Musician’s Earplugs and In-Ear Monitors. Please click here to find out more.

Motor biking

Motorcyclists are naturally exposed to high levels of engine and wind speed noise. Such high noise levels experienced over a long period, especially on a daily basis, can lead to permanent hearing damage.

Compared to open helmet types, a covered helmet with visor can provide more sound attenuation (noise reduction) against wind speed noise. But even the most padded and streamlined full helmets can still get wind noise readings of over 110dB SPL in tests, which can begin to cause permanent hearing damage after fifteen minutes’ exposure.

Even at 65mph on the road you can expect to be exposed to 103dB SPL of wind speed noise, which is the same as a pneumatic drill or chainsaw. This level of sound is enough to cause cases of tinnitus and even permanent hearing loss, but can be prevented with the correct hearing protection. You can find our full range of hearing products on display at all of our Hearing Centres.

Shooting

Your sense of hearing is crucial to your accuracy during shooting and is of course vital for your safety. How would you feel about being unable to hear that trap-release, or that telltale movement in the long grass?

A gunshot measures at somewhere between 140-170 dB SPL with the equivalent sound energy of being exposed to 90 dBA for forty hours! At these sound levels a single gunshot heard at close range is capable of damaging your hearing for the rest of your life. It’s no surprise then that many shooters have hearing problems that could affect their performance and quality of life.
Shooting is described as the single sport making the greatest contribution to risking permanent sensori-neural hearing loss. 47% - 70% of all shooters have some level of hearing loss, according to research.

Created specifically to reduce over-exposure to loud noise, Magnum Ear shooting protection products still allow conversation to be heard while offering you three different levels of reliable electronic hearing protection. Magnum Ear shooting protection includes wind noise reduction, feedback elimination and offers amplification alongside hearing protection, for when it matters most.