Industrial Hearing Protection: Metal, Food, Printing and Workshops

In industry, machines often run all day. Presses, grinders, compressors and production lines together create a noise level that quickly goes above 80 dB(A). Anyone who works there day in, day out without good protection risks permanent hearing loss or tinnitus.

Which hearing protection works best varies by sector. In metalworking you deal with loud impacts, in the food industry hygiene rules come into play too, and in a printing works it’s mainly the monotonous sound of the presses. Below you’ll find what to look out for in each sector.

Why hearing protection matters so much in industry

Excessive noise damages the hair cells in your inner ear. That happens gradually and cannot be repaired. Your hearing gets steadily worse, especially in busy situations, and you can end up with a ringing or hissing that doesn’t go away.

Noise also does more than you realise. A full day in a racket can lead to higher blood pressure, difficulty concentrating, stress and fatigue. That’s why employers have to take measures, and above certain noise levels it’s a legal requirement.

In short, what the EU Noise Directive (Directive 2003/10/EC) requires:

These are the EU minimum rules (Directive 2003/10/EC). Every EU country has written them into its own law, and some countries are stricter, so check your national rules. The directive does not prescribe a brand or type. The hearing protectors must, however, be suitable and properly fitted, and employees or their representatives, such as a works council, must be consulted on which ones are chosen (Articles 6 and 9). The peak values, your right to a hearing test and who pays for what are explained in when is hearing protection mandatory.

Hearing protection in the metal industry

In metalworking, the noise comes from two directions. There is constant machine noise, from lathes, presses and compressors, and there are loud impacts from hammering, straightening, riveting and sheet-metal work. Grinding and sawing are among the loudest jobs: an angle grinder reaches 95 to 105 dB(A).

For constant machine noise, a fixed filter is enough. With lots of loud impacts, an impulse filter is a good choice: it attenuates a fixed amount and adds extra attenuation as soon as there’s a bang.

If you only occasionally go above 80 dB(A), for example when you spend time at the grinding bench once a week, disposable earplugs or earmuffs are often enough. If you work in the noise every day, custom hearing protection pays off: it stays comfortable for the whole shift, seals the same way every time and you don’t have to keep twisting it back into place.

Hearing protection in the food industry

The food industry can be loud too. Think of packing and filling lines, conveyor belts, bottles and cans knocking together, compressors and refrigeration plants. Because the noise often lasts the whole shift, it’s important that the hearing protection is still comfortable after hours of wear.

Hygiene requirements count as well. In an environment with food safety rules (HACCP), hearing protection must be easy to keep clean and must not end up in the product. Loose foam earplugs lying around, or put back in by someone after a meal, don’t fit well there. Custom earplugs are personal, have a smooth finish and are easy to clean with lukewarm water. Read how best to do that in cleaning earplugs.

Hearing protection in printing works

In printing works, equipment often runs all day, with the monotonous sound of presses, folding machines and cutters. Precisely because the noise is so steady, people get used to it and underestimate it. Yet every shift counts towards the daily dose.

A filter with fairly flat attenuation works well here, such as the one in the Pure Tones Work: the noise goes down, while conversations and signals stay clear. That way colleagues can keep talking to each other without taking their earplugs out. It’s also safer: anyone who is completely shut off misses warnings and takes the earplugs out sooner.

Not everyone in a printing works stands equally close to the presses. Someone who works next to the press all day often needs more attenuation than a colleague in finishing. A sound measurement shows how loud it is at each workstation, so everyone gets the filter that suits their spot. You also choose between hard and soft material; you can read about the difference in hard or soft custom earplugs.

Hearing protection in the workshop

In a workshop, noise levels rise quickly. Running machines, compressors and electric or pneumatic tools often go well above 80 dB(A). A few examples from the noise factsheet by Volandis, the Dutch construction industry’s health and safety centre (in Dutch):

• Angle grinder: 95–105 dB(A)
• Handheld circular saw: 99–109 dB(A)
• Mobile compressor: 80–106 dB(A) silenced, 95–125 dB(A) unsilenced

A cordless impact wrench isn’t a quiet tool either: manufacturers themselves state a sound pressure of around 97 dB(A) for heavy-duty models. The noise of all those machines adds up, including for colleagues who are only working nearby.

In a workshop in particular, the risk is often underestimated because the tools only run for short periods. Yet short jobs count too. Every 3 dB(A) more halves the safe exposure time: at 95 dB(A), after about a quarter of an hour you have already taken in the daily dose that takes eight hours at 80 dB(A).

With the right filter, custom earplugs attenuate enough for grinding and sawing, while you still hear your colleagues and warning signals. That’s a different type of earplug from the ones for festivals. And because they fit exactly, they stay comfortable all working day. Then they actually get worn.

Which earplugs suit which noise?

We make industrial hearing protection from an impression of each employee’s ear. You choose between hard acrylic and soft silicone, both with an anti-allergy coating. The filter determines the attenuation:

The attenuation you need depends on the noise at the workplace. With a sound measurement we map it per workstation and advise which filter suits each role. You’ll find all the options on hearing protection for work.

On-site fittings

From 3 people, we come to your company, right there in the workshop or factory hall. Contact us for on-site fittings in your country. We advise which filter suits each role, and for groups we work with volume pricing: the more employees, the lower the price per person. We can combine this with hearing tests on site and a toolbox session in which employees learn why and how to protect their hearing. When the earplugs are first used, we check with a leak test that they seal properly; after that, we recommend repeating that check every year.

On-site fittings · from 3 peopleWe come to your companyTell us which sector you're in and how many employees are involved. You'll get a quote with advice per role and volume pricing for your group. Request a quote