A study by the Royal College of General Practitioners in the U.K. found that our ears grow an average of 0.22 mm each year. The ear canal is partly made up of elastic cartilage, so it is possible for it to change shape.Why is this? We do not know exactly; it is suspected that it is to compensate for the deterioration of these senses.
An ear mould (= custom-made hearing protection) only offers protection when it closes off sufficiently. Experience shows that after an average of 5 years in many cases the ear canal is deformed to such an extent that the ear protector no longer seals sufficiently. This has nothing to do with the quality of the otoplastics but with the fit of your custom-made earplug. A space then arises between your ear canal and the otoplastic through which sound can "leak".
Another cause that can affect the shape of your ear canal is weight gain or loss.
Custom-made earplugs cannot be visually checked. All of our earplugs are therefore digitally seal-testable. Otoplastics are always tested in the user's ears.
As your ear canal grows and changes shape, over time your otoplasty will no longer fit exactly.
Steps check / leak test hearing protection
- The otoplastics are cleaned intensively (ultrasonically)
- The person puts on their hearing protectors and a thin air hose is connected to them.
- A digital leak test is done, which involves building up a small amount of pressure (5 milibars) in the ear, although the person in question barely feels it.
- After 5 seconds, the test is finished and we test the other hearing protector.
After the test, it is possible to prepare a test certificate with the measurement results. We can test almost all otoplastics, including those of our competitors.
As of April 21, 2019, hearing protection for companies falls under the highest and stricter PPE category 3 (Regulation (EU) 2016/425)
