Ear and Hearing Protection Standards
BOS can supply a PPE hearing and ear protection range of products with different level sound attenuation, to be adapted to various working environments giving the correct protection from dangerous noise, without isolating the workers.
We source ear protection from a number of the world’s leading manufacturers such as Portwest. Therefore, we are confident that we can supply your business or organisation with high quality ear and hearing protection equipment at the lowest possible prices.
The PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 has a risk approach which denies harmful noise as a risk that may cause very serious hearing injuries. As a result, the regulation has recategorized hearing protection from category 2 Risk PPE (Intermediate) to category 3 Risk (Complex).
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005The Noise Regulation 2005 requires employers to prevent or reduce risks to health and safety from exposure to noise at work. It also asks to take specific actions and defines action levels and limit values of exposure to noise.
How to Protect Yourself
4 Steps to Choose the Appropriate Hearing Protection
1 - Identify the nature of the noise: stable, fluctuating, intermittent or pulse.
2 - Measure the noise at the working station: intensity (dB) and volume (Hz).
3 - Determine the exposure time.
4 - Calculate the require attenuation needed. The attenuation level offered by the hearing protector should bring the noise to a level that is not harmful to health whilst avoiding over-protection which would isolate the worker.
IEN 352-1: 2020
Hearing Protectors – Ear Muffs
Hearing Protectors – Ear Plugs
EN 352-3: 2020
Hearing Protectors – Helmet Mounted Ear Muffs
Hearing Protectors – Level Dependent Ear Muffs
IEar Muffs with Entertainment Radio
All these standards establish requirements with regards to the manufacture, design, performances and test methods.
SNR (simplified noise reduction):
Single average value of attenuation.
HML: Attenuation values expressed in terms of average levels of frequencies:
H: Attenuation of PPE at high frequencies (pitched noises).
M: Attenuation of PPE at medium frequencies.
L: Attenuation of PPE at low frequencies (bass sounds).
