The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) now provides access to their noise database which houses years’ worth of data that has been collected during health hazard evaluation (HHE) surveys. 

According to Oil & Gas IQ, energy industry CIOs rank mobile technology as the 2nd highest priority in the last year. In fact, 55% of respondents felt it would greatly enhance their operations, however, only 16% have employed a mobility strategy so far. Mobility is becoming an enterprise requirement, as a means to increase productivity and maintain communications. In the industrial arena, however, your everyday off-the-shelf smartphone can’t withstand the beating these devices can be subject to.

Many business owners are beginning to understand the importance of overly loud noise exposure on the job for employees and administrators alike. Business owners, administrators, and those who are heavily involved in businesses involving the use of heavy machinery and other loud equipment might be interested in protecting worker hearing. Learning as much as possible about hearing protection is a key characteristic of a well-rounded business owner, manager, or administration member.

Everyone has heard the buzz about disposable products and the environmental concerns associated with the overuse of disposable products and tools on-the-job. However, many business owners may yet remain unconvinced. Some business owners may be wondering whether or not disposable hearing protection truly “costs” businesses in a way that creates a real-world impact on productivity and other important aspects of successful companies. To make a long story short, businesses want to know what the real cost of disposable hearing protection is - not just percentages and figures, but “big picture” impacts. Take a look at the information below to learn how disposable hearing protection affects productivity, creates danger for employee safety, and decreases chances of overall business success.

Productivity Problems
How in the world does disposable hearing protection make a dent in productivity? The claim may seem a little audacious at first glance, especially without facts to back it up; however, disposable hearing protection really does cause more downtime and to a lesser degree of productivity. One of the most common problems with disposable hearing protection involves the ease with which said hearing protection can become disengaged - often without the user’s knowledge or intention. Disposable earplugs, for example, often “pop out” unexpectedly, landing on the floor or even within machinery. Taking the time to find the dropped earplugs or pull out a pair of new ones costs productivity and efficiency greatly, especially considering the frequency with which this problem occurs.

If the dropped earplugs make their way into the machinery, you could be looking at downtime to remove the earplugs and/or to repair damage from stray devices becoming lodged in the equipment.

Employee Safety Concerns
Some companies boast that disposable hearing protection is just as effective as a quality headset; however, nothing could be further from the truth. Disposable hearing protection often becomes dislodged or loosened within the ear, creating a passage for harmful noise levels that may result in hearing damage or total deafness upon prolonged exposure. Obviously, the problem with earplugs “popping out” creates a hearing hazard as well. These hazards lead to other less obvious dangers, including health concerns about the psychological health of employees, or the risk of faulty machinery due to errant earplugs.

Costs
Although disposable earplugs may seem to be the cheapest alternative, consider the fact that an average user can go through 7-10 sets per day. With that in mind, the actual cost of these disposable earplugs may be closer to $300-$500 per year!

Let’s look at these costs in more depth:

To say that plant tour headsets are useful in the modern-day high-noise workplace would be a vast understatement. Headsets designed with plant tours in mind are, in fact, vital to any successful company or facility that conducts plant tours on a regular basis in a high-noise environment. Quality headsets provide both tour guides and tour participants with a wide variety of advantages and benefits - all of which contribute to the valuable nature of quality hearing protection and communicating systems. Plant tours are valuable tools in a business’ arsenal to promote the company, employees, and technologies to a vast array of constituents including school groups, civic leaders, partners, and even potential new hires. Take a look at the information below to learn why plant tour headsets are absolutely essential for the plant tour experience in high-noise environments. Most people are surprised by the impact that such a “simple” tool has on the overall success of a given business.

An awareness of environmental concerns has become a vital aspect of every business and industry in the world as more and more people have begun to realize the importance of a healthy dose of environmental responsibility. The “green” movement has become a defining aspect of both small and large businesses alike, with employers in every industry jumping on board. Industry leaders who are intentionally remaining conscientious of how their companies are impacting the environment (i.e. how great of a carbon footprint companies can trace back to themselves) know that a great many small changes are far more effective than attempting to totally remodel business schematics as a whole. For instance, investing in environmentally friendly masks and gloves may make a large dent in the environmental campaign without necessarily leaving a large dent in a given business’ budget.

Hearing protection has long been discussed among business leaders in the industrial workforce environment. If you were to pull any industrial employee off of the street today for questioning, they would probably be able to immediately recognize the term “occupational noise exposure.” Occupational noise exposure is a fancy expression that refers to a simple concept: being around a dangerously loud piece of equipment in the workplace. Hear-Through technology was developed in an effort to combat a specific set of downfalls with traditional hearing protection equipment by providing users with a unique solution. Read the information below to learn more about why traditional forms of hearing protection are not ideal and why hear-through technology provides an essential solution.

Today’s society is comprised of a generation obsessed with productivity. Taking one look at any given city street can quickly reveal to anyone that 21st-century individuals are always “doing something.” For instance, an individual can walk from his or her favorite restaurant back to work while simultaneously sending emails right in the palm of his or her hand. This is a generation of multi-tasking and “getting things done,” so it is easy to understand why the emphasis in the workforce is placed on effectiveness, productivity, and efficiency. One of the primary goals of any level-headed employer can be summed up in a simple question: how can this workload be completed with greater efficiency and increased automation? As most people in the business world know, the answer is equally simple. Communication is the key to workplace productivity and efficiency - especially within industrial environments. Those who are interested in learning more about the importance of communication within the scope of industrial environments may benefit from reading the information below.

Employees who are systematically exposed to unhealthy noise levels are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to participate in a hearing conservation program. Many people may not be aware of what a hearing conservation program is, why it is important, or how one is set up. Those who work in environments in which potentially loud noise levels may cause physical or mental harm should be seriously invested in learning more about the hearing conservation program. Even more so, managers and employers should be among the most concerned; since an employer’s highest priority ought to be keeping his or her employees safe, the importance of these programs to employers and managers of workplaces around the globe cannot be overly emphasized.

Those who are well informed about on-the-job noise exposure and the dangers therein are typically familiar with the term “hearing protection ratings.” However, there are still many employers and employees who have not been adequately informed about hearing protection ratings and Noise Reduction Ratings. Individuals who are not familiar with the aforementioned terms may benefit from reading the brief explanation below. By remaining informed about occupational noise exposure and related concepts such as hearing protection ratings and Noise Reduction Ratings, employers and employees alike can intentionally pursue safety without reducing work efficiency.