Have you ever wondered what the loudest work environment is? According to a 2018 study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries are among the most hazardous for high noise and hearing loss, with the forestry and logging industry as the most pervasive. Workers exposed to high noise in the forestry and logging industry have “a higher percentage of hearing loss (21%) than all other noise-exposed industries combined (19%)” (CDC, 2018).
The loud noises associated with the tasks that forestry workers perform, such as moving logs (92 dBA) and using chainsaws (91-110 dBA) are some of the highest noise exposures, averaging 97-102 dB(A). This can cause significant damage to workers’ hearing and well-being if not properly dealt with. There are many steps workers can take to reduce exposure to sound, but without proper hearing protection, the risks of permanent hearing damage are high.
How to Protect Your Hearing in a High-Noise Environment and Communicate
Now that you have established the need for hearing protection in the forestry industry, the next challenge is human behavior. Every safety officer knows how easy it is for workers to forget to wear or disklike to wear hearing protection, and if this happens regularly, hearing loss is inevitable. Even if workers think they are not near high noise, hearing loss can be compounded by vibrations, an aspect that many forestry workers will not immediately make the connection to with potential long-term hearing loss. Ears are sensitive and hearing protection needs to be taken with utmost SENS-itivity in the forestry industry.
Sensear’s SENS® Technology-enabled headsets take noise cancellation to a whole new level, isolating and enhancing speech while reducing the many harmful noises in forestry work. This formula of "speech enhancement + noise suppression" creates situational awareness, keeping forestry workers safe and aware of all the hazards around them.
Sensear’s range of two-way radio and Bluetooth® headsets allows workers to have seamless face-to-face conversations in the work area without screaming and to communicate clearly on their two-way radios and Bluetooth-enabled devices. Our headsets’ short-range feature allows workers to have headset-to-headset communication up to a range of 100 feet, and we offer some of the highest NRR ratings of up to 27dB with standard headsets and up to 36dB with double protection headsets to protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss.
Noisy environments are tough to deal with, but with this knowledge, you can tackle them effectively. Try our interactive headset selector tool or download our Buyer’s Guide to learn more about our innovative SENS® Technology and hearing protection headsets.
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