Disposable earplugs
Disposable earplugs should be soft and fit comfortably in your ear. They are
usually made of foam, mineral wadding, or soft silicone. Most disposable
earplugs need to be rolled between your fingers, inserted into the ear and
held in place until they expand to fill and seal the ear canal.
Ordinary cotton wool is a very bad noise protector and is not recommended
for this purpose.
Reusable earplugs
Reusable earplugs are made from foam, soft plastic, or rubber. They can be
washed and used again. Pre-moulded, re-usable earplugs are very hardwearing,
and do not need to be rolled to fit in your ear.
Custom-made earplugs
Earplugs can be custom-made to give a better fit in your ear canal. Because
fitters use a mould of your ear canal, they tend to be expensive. However,
with the better fit they should attenuate noise more effectively and be more
comfortable. They may last for several years and so may be cheaper than
disposable earplugs for regular, long-term use.
Musicians’ earplugs
Ordinary earplugs provide greater attenuation for higher frequency sounds,
making sounds appear muffled. Musicians’ earplugs are designed to give
similar attenuation for sounds of all frequencies. This means that the
earplugs protect from the damaging effects of loud sounds, but preserve the
sound quality.
Shooters’ earplugs
You can also get earplugs that protect from sudden explosive noises such as
gunshots. These allow normal hearing at non-harmful levels, but attenuate
all high-intensity sounds to a safe level. Some are electronic, while others
contain special types of materials or special filters.
Earmuffs
Earmuffs, or ear defenders, look like large headphones. Hard cups fit over
your ear and are sealed to your head with soft cushions on their rims.
Standard models provide a similar degree of protection to standard earplugs
but you can get earmuffs that give higher levels of attenuation. Some
earmuffs are designed to provide similar attenuation at all frequencies
(like musician’s earplugs), allowing you to hear speech and alarms more
clearly.
Earmuffs with folding headbands or neckbands are also available. They can be
carried around or stored more easily. Some earmuffs are activated only when
loud noise is present. These earmuffs are usually electronic and act in a
similar way to shooters’ earplugs. Earmuffs are also available with built-in
radio or audio systems for communication.
Canal caps
Canal caps are attached to a head or chin band, which can be carried round
your neck and clamped onto your ears when you need them. Canal caps are
useful for noise that comes and goes.
Where can you buy ear protectors?
Sports shops and pharmacies usually stock those suitable for light domestic
use only, and will not provide proper protection against damaging levels of
noise. For this you need industrial-use earplugs and earmuffs, which are
sold by DIY stores and by shops listed under Gunsmiths, Safety Equipment,
and Industrial Protective Clothing in the Yellow Pages.
Suppliers
3M United Kingdom plc supply a range of hearing protection products.
Website: www.mmm.com
For the complete RNID factsheet on how to protect ears from noise exposure,
see:
www.rnid.org.uk/html/factsheets/med_noise_exposure.htm
