When working in an industrial environment, there is no such thing as being gentle with your hearing protection headset. They get dirty, dusty, grimy, and banged up for 8-12 hours or more a day. The ear cushions may get cracked, warped, or just plain dirty. Whatever the reason, these headsets often get replaced due to damage or lack of upkeep. So, how can you extend the life of your hearing protection headset?

When working in hazardous or high-noise-level conditions, it is important to have the right hearing protection. In many cases, this indicates wearing a headset or earmuff hearing protection device (HPD) with active noise-canceling technology. This analog technology functions by detecting the sound coming into the headset generates signals that are out-of-phase with the offending signals and then cancels them out. This allows any sounds generated within the headset to be understood more clearly (music, radio communications, etc.). Unfortunately, these active noise-canceling headsets have attributes that are problematic.

When it comes to hearing protection for loud workplaces, business owners want to save money and purchase the cheapest option available to them. This cheaper option often comes in the form of disposable earplugs, regardless of the environmental concerns that are often associated with them. They purchase these disposable earplugs because they seem to be the most cost-effective hearing protection solution, but what if they are wrong? What if we were to say that in the long run, disposable earplugs cost hundreds of dollars more than investing in more permanent forms of hearing protection? Not only would the alternative save business owners in monetary costs, but also in productivity, employee safety, and overall business success. Let me explain how.

The best hearing protection devices (HPDs) are ones that employees want to wear and have all of the features necessary for employees to get the job done safely and efficiently. Another factor to consider is the fit and the actual hearing protection level that is achieved by the HPD on a particular person. What do you do when everyone has different-sized heads and not all hearing protection fits the same? What is the solution to having the right size headset with the right amount of hearing protection for each employee?

Hearing conservation programs are typically designed to protect workers with normal hearing, but they must also consider those workers that have already been impacted by hearing loss or impairment. Many workers in high-noise environments have already experienced varying degrees of hearing loss and may have special needs. What can be done to keep them protected, but still allow them to continue with their daily activities? These workers face numerous challenges, even in quiet environments, including difficulty communicating with colleagues and problems differentiating important sounds or alarms from other background noises. Some workers may even face differing levels of tinnitus or ringing in the ears.

For quite a year now, we have been living with the tension of this pandemic. It would be amazing if we knew when things would get back to normal, but no one has the answer to that. Between COVID-19 business interruptions, financial downturn, and rising prices, businesses are feeling the tension.

Helping your employees return to work, safely and confidently, during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is not easy.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and noise-induced tinnitus are two of the most common disabilities among manufacturing workers in the United States.

A noisy environment is one of the main stress triggers for employees and leads to reduced productivity. Common practices like shouting at others, or asking them to talk loudly are barely effective.

The global coronavirus outbreak has created an increasing number of challenges for individuals, communities, companies, and manufacturing facilities.