Workplace Medical
Client Portal
Contact Us
  • Cultivating Hearing Health at an Early Age

    When you think about protecting your children from illness, your thoughts likely turn to getting them vaccinated and teaching them to wash their hands often. You probably don’t think about protecting their hearing as a way to prevent serious illness, but new research suggests that you should.

    Linking Hearing and Health

    A report released in October of 2018 by the World Health Organization (WHO) makes it clear that noise and noise pollution contribute to both mental and physical illnesses, stating that excessive amounts of noise can “disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular and psycho-physiological effects, reduce performance and provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour.”

    It’s true that there is no escape from the noise of traffic, trains, airplanes, wind turbines and even leisure activities like music concerts. That doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. Protecting your hearing helps you preserve it and reduces your risk of other health problems — and there are plenty of ways you can do that for yourself and for your children.

    Hearing Health for Kids

    Every baby born in Ontario after 2002 gets screened for hearing problems shortly after birth. This early screening identifies infants with hearing issues, so they can get the help they need to develop language and communication skills.

    Whether your infant’s hearing tests in the normal range or proves impaired, it’s important to protect whatever hearing ability remains. To do so, make sure noise-making toys aren’t too loud. It’s best to avoid or discard loud toys with no volume control. Although earbuds allow your child to enjoy movies, games and music without disturbing others, it’s important to limit their use and monitor their volume.

    Remember that hearing problems can develop at any time, so pay attention as your child grows. If you notice your child always turning up the television or speaking loudly, she may have a hearing issue. Listening problems can also indicate a loss of hearing. Of course, loud music and trouble listening could just mean your child has become a teenager, too, but it’s best to have their hearing checked to make sure.

    Hearing Health for Adults

    Unfortunately, fighting genetic hearing loss is sometimes a losing battle. You can, however, greatly reduce your risk of exposure to environmental causes of hearing loss if you keep your ears open to some sound advice.

    To protect yourself, consider the amount of noise produced by the equipment, vehicles, tools and appliances you purchase for use at home and at work. Many times, electric and battery-powered devices make less noise than those driven by gas or diesel engines.

    When you must use equipment on the louder end of the spectrum, use barriers and noise dampeners whenever it’s possible. This protects others who find themselves within earshot of your work area. Protect yourself, as well, by wearing disposable earplugs, earmuffs or customized hearing protection.

    Hearing Protection Choices

    Disposable earplugs are readily available and inexpensive, which makes them a good choice for many. Their small size makes them easy to carry and convenient when working in tight places where bulkier gear, like earmuffs, may be an issue.

    It does take some time, however, to mold these generic plugs to your ears, and they may irritate your ear canal if you don’t shape them properly. Some users find insertion and removal difficult, and good hygiene is a must. Disposable earplugs are just that and should never get used more than once.

    Earmuffs, too, have pros and cons. Because they’re easy to see, earmuffs are hard to misplace. They also make it easy for supervisors to ensure that employees wear them as required. It’s safe to wear earmuffs even with an ear infection, and they reduce vibration in addition to protecting hearing. Earmuffs are somewhat bulky, however, which makes them less portable than disposable earplugs and more cumbersome when working in tight spaces. You may struggle to wear earmuffs comfortably if you wear glasses, safety hats or religious head coverings while working.

    While both disposable earplugs and earmuffs have their place, custom earplugs generally work best for those frequently exposed to loud noises. Made specifically to fit your body, custom earplugs provide superior comfort and perform better than other hearing protection devices.

    The biggest objection people have to customized earplugs is their initial cost. Custom earplugs typically last three to five years, however, making them cheaper over the long term than other hearing protection solutions. Custom earplugs also improve compliance. Ear protection doesn’t work if you don’t wear it, and many of us have been guilty of removing uncomfortable hearing protection. Customized earplugs offer superior comfort, increasing the likelihood that you and your employees will actually use them and do so without complaint.

    Remember the Audiologist

    No matter what type of hearing protection you choose or how faithfully you use it, remember to have your hearing checked annually.

    Noise-induced hearing loss is usually gradual, so you may not notice it until it becomes severe. Hearing loss also occurs without pain. Although a lack of pain is typically considered a good thing, pain does indicate that you’re having a problem. Without it, you’ll have no way of knowing that you’re hearing is suffering unless you have it checked by a professional. Annual hearing tests detect even slight changes in your hearing, allowing you to adjust your hearing protection as needed.  

    If you’re still not convinced, consider what you have to lose. People affected by noise-induced hearing loss typically lose the ability to hear high frequencies first. This means that the first thing you’ll lose is the ability to hear the voices of women and children. This could mean missing out on what your daughter, wife or grandchildren have to say. As your hearing continues to erode, you could ultimately lose the ability to hear deeper male voices, too.

    Hearing loss caused by noise is permanent, but it’s also 100 percent preventable. Give your children a healthy start by monitoring and limiting their noise exposure and teaching them to protect their hearing as they grow. Protect yourself by choosing quieter tools, using the proper hearing protection and having your hearing checked every year.

    Author: Karen Vye

    Resources:
    The World Health Organization, 2018
    Alzheimer Society of Canada, 2018
    Ministry of Children and Youth Services, 2002

    Jon Burtenshaw

    ,
    , , , , , ,
  • Earplug Fit Testing Has Arrived

    New Technology Helps Prevent Noise Induced Hearing Loss Before It’s Too Late

    Did you know that many workers receive less than half of the hearing protection they should be getting from their earplugs? It’s hard to believe, but because you can’t tell if earplugs are fitting properly just by looking at the person wearing them, they may not be aware that they haven’t achieved the correct fit. There are a few reasons why this can happen:

    • Improper choice of earplugs:
      • The model chosen will not provide the right fit for the individual
      • The NRR rating is insufficient for the noise level in the work area
    • Improper use of earplugs:
      • They are not being properly worn
      • They are not being worn at all

    Regardless of the reason, an effective solution is clearly required. The fact is that once the worker develops a noise-induced hearing loss, it’s too late and permanent damage has already been done. Many people that aren’t wearing their earplugs properly simply haven’t been adequately educated. They don’t understand the health risk, why it’s in their best interest to protect themselves, and how to properly protect themselves. Well, there’s great news. Quantitative earplug fit testing is now available. These proprietary hardware/software systems offer a significant advancement in earplug fit training.The method is similar in concept to a hearing test that would be conducted using an audiometer. The key difference is that the fit-testing system measures the amount of noise reduction the worker is getting from the earplugs based on the way they have fitted the earplugs themselves.

    What makes these systems so effective?

    • They’re generally very quick, no more than 10 minutes, and in some cases, quite a bit less
    • They provide instant feedback to the user in an easy to understand printout
    • If the results indicate that the plugs didn’t achieve the desired results, the trainer can re-instruct and re-test the worker until the required noise reduction is achieved
    • If an acceptable fit can’t be achieved after a certain number of attempts, it likely means that their choice of earplug cannot be made to fit (which is more common than you think) and they should try a different make/model
    • At the end of the process, the employee will have the right model of earplugs and will know how to wear them properly

    With over 25 years experience developing hearing conservation programs for industry, I strongly recommended that every employee that wears earplugs be fit-tested, not just the employees with known hearing problems. As previously mentioned, there’s no way of knowing if a person is wearing their earplugs properly just by looking, or by the NRR rating on the product packaging. Why wait until they develop a permanent hearing loss? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? Fit tests should be done as soon as a worker is provided with their earplugs, and any time they change to a different type. Similar to audiometric testing, it’s also recommended that earplug fit testing is conducted on a periodic basis in order to monitor for inconsistencies and to conduct re-testing as needed.

    Jon Burtenshaw

    ,
    , , , , , ,
  • Top 5 Things to Know About Hearing Protectors

    We are often asked, “What is the best type of hearing protector?” Our answer is always, “The one that gets worn!”

    When selecting hearing protection, people usually focus on the product’s Noise Reduction Rating (NRR), presuming that the one with the highest rating is the best choice. We would suggest that this is not the best approach because no matter how much noise reduction they offer, if they’re not comfortable, they’re not likely to be worn properly or even worse, at all.

    Top 5 things you need to know when selecting hearing protectors:


    1. DETERMINE HOW MUCH PROTECTION IS NEEDED     A hearing protector should only provide the appropriate amount of noise reduction for the environment in which it will be used. Any less and it won’t do its job. Any more and you may get complaints such as “I can’t hear anything with these on!” The goal is to get the noise exposure down to a safe level – around 80dB (decibels).

    2. SELECT THE RIGHT NOISE REDUCTION RATING (NRR) Hearing protectors come with an NRR rating that indicates how many decibels of noise reduction they provide. An NRR20 should reduce the noise by 20dB, an NRR30 should reduce it by 30dB, and so on. The problem is that NRR ratings are established under ideal laboratory conditions. In the real world people don’t always get a proper fit. Research shows the average NRR rating for a group of employees is as follows:

    • Earplugs: Around 40-50%
    • Ear muffs: Around 60-70%
    • Custom-fitted earplugs: 80-90% or more

    When selecting hearing protection, keep this in mind and shop accordingly. If necessary, you can always double-up by wearing ear muffs over top of earplugs.

    3. FOCUS ON FIT & COMFORT Once you’ve established the necessary NRR rating, focus on the models that offer the highest comfort level.

    4. OFFER CHOICES You’ll never find a group of people that all agree on what’s comfortable, so offer a choice of at least three types of earplugs and two types of ear muffs. There is no right or wrong (better or worse) choice between plugs & muffs. They’re both available in ratings from NRR10 to NRR34 and, if worn properly, work equally well. They both have their advantages and disadvantages:

    • Ear plugs are small, convenient, and inexpensive, but they can also be hard to insert properly, uncomfortable, easily lost, needing good hygiene, and be a source of litter. It can also be difficult for a supervisor to tell if they’re being worn properly.
    • Ear muffs are easier to fit properly, less likely to get misplaced and last much longer. It’s also easier to see if they’re being worn properly. But they’re also more costly, heavier & less portable, may have fitting issues with glasses, hair & headwear, and they may be uncomfortable in hot & humid conditions.
    • Custom-fitted earplugs. Since the best hearing protector is the one that’s both comfortable and has just the right amount of noise reduction, we’re strong advocates of custom fitted, calibrated earplugs. There’s a growing body of research indicating that properly fitted custom plugs perform notably better on average than off-the-shelf models. They typically last for 3 to 5 years, so they can actually be cheaper and more cost-effective in the long run than using off-the-shelf products, including the throw-away foam earplugs. And like custom eyewear, they are a personalized safety product, so workers tend to take them more seriously and treat them with more care.

    5. ALLOW TIME TO GET USED TO THEM If you are introducing hearing protection to people that have never worn them before, be sure to provide them with proper training on the use and care of the protectors and let them “ease” into wearing them. For example, allow wearing the protectors for 2 hours a day for a week, extend to 4 hours for a week, then 6 hours and so on. By the end of the month, they’ll be comfortable wearing them for the full shift.

    Increase your chances of selecting hearing protectors that get worn

    If you keep these 5 tips in mind the next time you’re in the market for new hearing protectors, you will increase the chances of protecting your most valuable resource – your people. For more information about Hearing Protectors and Hearing Testing, contact us or download our free guide on Workplace Hearing Conservation.

    Jon Burtenshaw

    ,
    , , , , , , ,