Optimal Hearing Protection at 80+ Decibels

Too much noise in the workplace has unpleasant consequences for your hearing. The figures 80 decibels and 85 decibels are key here. We are happy to explain why you should use custom-made earplugs at 80+ dB, and why custom hearing protection can offer a real solution.

Noise-induced hearing loss acquired on the job is, unsurprisingly, a common occurrence. Hearing protection is therefore an effective way to prevent damage to your hearing.

What are the consequences for employees when they are exposed to 80 decibels or more? And what rules apply to this kind of noise nuisance under current legislation?

What does the Working Conditions Act say about excessive workplace noise?

The Dutch Working Conditions Act, usually known as the Arbowet, sets out the noise levels at which employees are required to work with hearing protection and the levels at which employers are obliged to provide it. The law is based on a daily noise dose measured over an 8-hour working day.

• The Working Conditions Act stipulates that employers are required to make hearing protection available when workplace noise exceeds 80 dB(A) on a daily basis. At that point, employees are not yet obliged to use this hearing protection.

• As soon as the noise level reaches 83 dB(A), employees may work without hearing protection for no more than 4 hours. In such a situation, the conditions must be met that there is “no unacceptably high risk of hearing damage”. Moreover, the noise level must not be high during the remaining 4 hours.

• Employees are required to wear hearing protection for the entire working day when they are exposed daily to a noise level higher than 85 dB(A).

• At a level above 85 dB(A), a plan of action must also be drawn up.

• If a noise level of 87 dB(A) is measured in the ear (taking into account that employees are already wearing hearing protectors at that point), immediate action must be taken to reduce this excess noise right away.

• The Working Conditions Act also states that employers must adequately inform their staff about the dangers that noise can pose.

• Employees also have the right to take a hearing test. This allows them to check whether the measures taken are proving effective.

How are noise levels measured?

You can determine the noise level with a decibel meter. This indicates the noise level in decibels (dB). During the measurement, what is known as an A-filter is applied. This takes into account the ear’s sensitivity to different sound frequencies. That is why the noise level is expressed in dB(A).

How loud is 80 dB(A), really?

The amounts of decibels our ears have to endure only become truly clear when we put them in concrete terms. When you have a normal conversation with someone, that corresponds to a noise volume of roughly 60 dB(A). Can you no longer understand someone standing 1 metre away, or do you have to keep raising your voice? Then there is a good chance the noise is above 80 dB(A).

Incidentally, employees will not always experience a noise volume above 80 decibels as unpleasant or painful. As a result, they are not always aware that daily exposure to excessively high noise levels can cause hearing damage over time. It is therefore wise to start using hearing protection from 80 dB(A) onwards.

What are the consequences of frequent, loud noise?

Hearing problems caused by excessively high noise volumes in the workplace are among the most common occupational diseases. Employees not only hear progressively worse, but they can also develop ringing in the ears, or tinnitus. In many cases, prolonged exposure to noise is the cause. Excessively high noise levels occur in all kinds of occupational groups.

It is not just construction workers, farmers, defence personnel, woodworkers and metalworkers, police officers, or truck and forklift drivers who have to deal with it. DJs, musicians, and people who work in nightlife, swimming pools, gyms, recreation centres, and day-care centres are also at greater risk of permanent hearing damage.

What can companies do themselves about noise?

Besides noise-induced hearing loss or noise-induced deafness, high noise levels can also cause concentration problems, stress, fatigue, and elevated blood pressure. For companies, it is therefore essential to prevent such problems as much as possible.

After all, every organisation benefits from healthy, well-functioning staff. This can be achieved, among other things, by investing in quieter production methods and machines that make less noise. Sound-dampening cabins can also reduce the nuisance. In addition, employers could choose to expose employees to noise for fewer hours per day.

Custom-made hearing protection earplugs

Quite apart from the fact that hearing protection is mandatory above 85 dB(A), employers can thoroughly inform their staff about the dangers of noise and encourage them to wear hearing protection even at noise volumes of 80 dB(A). Employees benefit enormously from custom-made earplugs in particular. These earplugs are fully tailored to the person wearing them and guarantee optimal wearing comfort.

Custom earplugs lower the noise level by around 15 to 25 dB(A). What’s more, they can be fitted with various filters. This makes it possible to offer the right protection against any source of noise. Audinc supplies hearing protection for metalworking, industry, security, printing, nightlife, construction, and the food industry.