Hearing protection

[atomant48]

The link below provides some useful information on Noise from different welding processes

http://www.hse.gov.uk/welding/noise-vibration.htm

Wow that’s surprising. Noisier than I thought. I guess it’s made far worse by having your head so close to the Noise as well. Good points above. I use the pelters too for power tools and lawnmower etc but as noted they won’t be effective with a helmet. Think I might need some in-ear plugs.

 

[stuvy]

I also use peltor the best we had between 12 lads using every type and charging the boss for the research!

I also use earbuds for my dab radio as having a welding spark inside my ear was frightening and excruciatingly painfully for months after

Typically I only wear one ear phone and a cheapo soft ear plug the other side

 

[bert]

I use the peltor optime 3 at work, comfy enough I can wear them all day. Only downside is I need to take them off to talk to people as they stop me hearing normal talking.

 

[Morrisman]

When I go to bike rallies there are hooligans bouncing their bikes off the rev limiters all night, I take a big bag of squishy foam earplugs - for everyone camped around me, I don't half snore after a few pints....

Dave H. (the other one)

I always wear ear plugs whenever I ride my bike, even short trips, but haven’t been to a rally for decades. And back in those days I didn’t even know about hearing damage and wind roar and stuff like that. 80mph, everywhere, for a decade or more and a hundred thousand miles..... my hearing is crap now.

In the garage I have proper Peltor ear defenders.

One thing I learned in my 25 years offshore is that noise damage depends more on the length of exposure than the actual volume. My ‘office’ for ten years on one ship was a corner of the gym, where I sat next to a big air con unit. It wasn’t until several years passed and I noticed my tinnitus getting worse that I realised 12 hours a day next to this rumbling thing was probably doing hearing damage.

As a hearing specialist told me: any noise that you have to raise your voice to talk over is damaging your hearing.



And soon we will hear from the old guys who have never worn ear plugs, use angle grinders every day, and can still hear a pin drop in China......

 

[atomant48]

I always wear ear plugs whenever I ride my bike, even short trips, but haven’t been to a rally for decades. And back in those days I didn’t even know about hearing damage and wind roar and stuff like that. 80mph, everywhere, for a decade or more and a hundred thousand miles..... my hearing is crap now.

Yep I got back into biking 5 yrs or so back after a break of a few years. Bikes and helmets had come a long way and I too wear ear plugs. It’s finny but thinking back I did used to get off the bike with a real sensation of having been exposed to some serious noise. It’s just the way it was ! I had an acoustics lecturer at uni (going back to early 90s now!) and he recommended we wear ear plugs to concerts etc. Of course we we scoffed. But on the odd occasion I end up in a club these days the levels are absolutely horrendous.

I presume there’s some H&S rules about those kind of places ...

Anyway up until now I have had a very in depth hearing and medical every year for work ... so I’m relatively content with my levels. Just I’m noticing more and more these days (and I think having young kids makes you think about their and your own state).

 

[Kent]

Foam disposable or regular ear muffs or both. Depending
I dont wear hearing protection when wrlding for noise, its not too bad and hearing is a useful sence of setting being off a bit.
I do wear foam plugs if a risk of spatter in the lug hole is a factor in cramped spots.

 

[HughF]

I wear isotunes pro in-ear bluetooth earbuds. Not CE approved but OSHA approved at -27dB or something noise reduction.

Easily good enough for angle grinder/hammer drill etc. Bluetooth performance is OK at best - probably 5m range in clear air

 

[Morrisman]

Yep I got back into biking 5 yrs or so back after a break of a few years. Bikes and helmets had come a long way and I too wear ear plugs. It’s finny but thinking back I did used to get off the bike with a real sensation of having been exposed to some serious noise. It’s just the way it was ! I had an acoustics lecturer at uni (going back to early 90s now!) and he recommended we wear ear plugs to concerts etc. Of course we we scoffed. But on the odd occasion I end up in a club these days the levels are absolutely horrendous.

I presume there’s some H&S rules about those kind of places ...

Anyway up until now I have had a very in depth hearing and medical every year for work ... so I’m relatively content with my levels. Just I’m noticing more and more these days (and I think having young kids makes you think about their and your own state).

I was just the same, ears ringing after a few hundred miles of motorway roar.....thought nothing of it.

I use soft silicon ear plugs mainly on the bike, but have some soft plastic ones that slip in for shorter journeys, they are much easier to use but not as efficient.

 

[eSCHEn]

I use the Howard Leighton Laser Lite ear plugs, quite comfortable and seem affective.

Same here and used them for years. Nice and comfortable unlike the plain yellow type ones. You can reuse them multiple times and the wee baggy they come it stores them in your pocket when not working. Despite being ultra bright and visible people will still talk to you when you have them on and wonder why you get annoyed when you have to take them out just to hear "oh that looks a fun job" from them.

 

[atomant48]

I was just the same, ears ringing after a few hundred miles of motorway roar.....thought nothing of it.

I use soft silicon ear plugs mainly on the bike, but have some soft plastic ones that slip in for shorter journeys, they are much easier to use but not as efficient.

I got some of the 2 part foam ones from on line where you mix the components and then stuff it in your ear to mould to shape. I was dubious but they’ve been great. Probably just starting to crack in places now but no complaints after a few years use.

 

[Seano]

I have some custom made in ear protection I use on anything noisy, with a tiny hole and a valve built in for hearing, perfect comfortable fit, much better than ear muffs I used on board ship for years.

 

[Shox Dr]

I wear isotunes pro in-ear bluetooth earbuds. Not CE approved but OSHA approved at -27dB or something noise reduction.

Easily good enough for angle grinder/hammer drill etc. Bluetooth performance is OK at best - probably 5m range in clear air

Whats the battery life like? How long to fully charge?

 

[Gragson]

Noted comments on exposure over time, when I was working on call centre systems there was also advisories given on "acoustic shock" when a call could come in at high volume as there was no way to control the incoming volume at the time, we had to implement special headphones that would cater for that. I think the advisory came in from the HSE so hearing damage can also occur over a shorter period if you get these loud spikes.

+ about 10 on the Peltor's, use them for shooting as well, prefer something I can easily slip off once I know the noise has gone, don't like the lack of awareness with having "in ear" jobbies for long periods.

 

[Seano]

[QUOTE="Gragson, post: 1336465, member: about 10 on the Peltor's, use them for shooting as well, prefer something I can easily slip off once I know the noise has gone, don't like the lack of awareness with having "in ear" jobbies for long periods.[/QUOTE]

Strangely enough I found less awareness syndrome more with using Peltor's than I do with my in ear noise reduction.

https://www.peritushealth.com/wp-content/gallery/noise/noisebreaker1.jpg

 

[HughF]

Whats the battery life like? How long to fully charge?

Battery will easily do a 10hr day, chargers from micro USB in about 1.5hrs

 

[Shox Dr]

Battery will easily do a 10hr day, chargers from micro USB in about 1.5hrs

Thanks, can you use them just as a noise cancelling earbud, ie no music

 

[HughF]

Thanks, can you use them just as a noise cancelling earbud, ie no music

They don't have active noise cancellation, they just rely on the foam ear plugs to provide sound isolation. I use the smallest foam tips and they fit just like regular foam ear plugs. Squash them down, jam them right in

 

[julianf]

I pretty much live in ear defenders.

To the extent that, somtimes, I remember I have them on, after sitting in front of the (non CAM) computer for some time!

I mean, anything even vaguely loud, and I use them.

But, that said, I've never deliberately worn them for welding. Not that I do much welding, but it's never been a task that would make me put them on.

Grinding / cutting / sanding and they would be straight on.

 

[Shox Dr]

They don't have active noise cancellation, they just rely on the foam ear plugs to provide sound isolation. I use the smallest foam tips and they fit just like regular foam ear plugs. Squash them down, jam them right in

Misread the blurb. I want a pair of noise cancelling in-ear buds. I was holding out for Hear One to iron the bugs out, but Doppler labs have ceased development.

I was in a gun shop the other day gazing upon the Peltor Noise cancelling headphones 100quid plus. I know a few people that use them for work/shooting, all happy with them

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I wear 3M ones - the number escapes me but, sadly, they're 'no longer available'.

These are they - they're excellent imo