Hearing Protection in Childcare

Childcare provider Babilou will soon offer hearing protection to its staff. The reason is that employees are exposed to noise at work, which creates a risk of hearing damage. This decision is part of a large-scale pilot aimed at protecting the hearing of its staff.

It is not only pounding disco beats or grinding machinery that can cause hearing damage in the workplace. Children, too, can generate quite a few decibels. According to sources, childcare workers are exposed every day to sound levels of around 80 decibels. That is a noise level that can cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure.

As hearing damage in the workplace is receiving more and more attention, Babilou Family Nederland has decided to take action as well. This is an organisation with more than 300 childcare locations. Director Remko Berkel indicated that a growing number of employees were becoming concerned about their hearing. That is why a pilot is being launched in which several measures are being tested, including earplugs.

According to the article mentioned above, Gjalt Jellesma is not particularly pleased with this measure. He is the chair of the advocacy group BOinK and is worried that children who speak a little more softly may not be heard as well because of the earplugs. BOinK represents parents in the childcare sector.

When good custom-moulded earplugs are used, Jellesma’s concerns are, in our view, unnecessary. We make earplugs with special filters that dampen the high tones while still allowing conversation. In addition, the filter in question can, if needed, be exchanged free of charge for a lighter or heavier variant.

The source mentioned above also notes that ENT specialist Veronique van den Heuvel is in favour of this initiative. According to her, there is still considerable resistance to hearing protection, stemming from embarrassment or a fear of no longer being able to hear the children properly. In her view, however, that fear is unfounded.

Besides childcare workers, teachers are also at risk of hearing damage, especially when they work in a gymnasium. If you would like to protect yourself against hearing damage in the workplace as well, you are always welcome to contact us without any obligation.