Steps:
- Hearing loss affects 30 million US adults and the damage is cumulative.
- Exposure to sounds over 85 decibels is considered harmful.
- A good rule of thumb is if you need to shout to talk to someone standing at arm’s length, you should be wearing hearing protection.
- Ear muffs block out mid-frequency sounds like general shop noise, but they don’t do as well with low-frequency sounds.
- Foam ear plugs will block both mid- and low-frequency sounds.
- Foam ear plugs should be rolled in the finger to be compressed, then tug on your ear and place the plug into your ear canal to let it expand.
- Keep hearing protection in a convenient spot so you’re more likely to reach for it.
Expert Insight: Mark, an audiologist featured on This Old House, emphasizes that comfort is the key to consistent use: “The best hearing protector is the one that’s worn. There are over 300 different hearing protectors out there and some will be comfortable for one person and uncomfortable for another, just like shoes. So the important thing is to try different hearing protectors and find one that’s comfortable and convenient for you to use.”
To put the danger in perspective, a miter saw can register over 100 decibels — giving you only about 15 minutes of safe exposure before you’ve exhausted your daily dose. Even a regular drill driver runs around 85 to 86 decibels, meaning a full day of drilling would use up your safe allotment. And a simple hammer can spike above 120 decibels on impact — a level at which you should really never be exposed without protection.
Resources:
The hearing protection that Kevin demonstrated, including over-the-ear and ear plugs, was manufactured by 3M Safety.
Personal Protective Equipment, including ear protection, can be purchased at home centers and hardware stores.
Not sure if your work environment is loud enough to require protection? A good rule of thumb shared on This Old House: if you need to shout to be heard by somebody standing at arm’s length away, you should be wearing hearing protection. Exposure to sounds above 85 decibels is generally considered harmful, and because hearing damage is cumulative and happens gradually, consistent use matters more than occasional use.
Pro Tip: As Kevin and a doctor discussed on Ask This Old House, earmuff-style hearing protection “works very well because it tends to offer more consistent sound protection.” Some models even include an active element that lets you hear people speak normally but automatically drops the volume when a loud sound occurs. When it comes to foam earplugs, the key is proper insertion: “You generally have to roll them down very thin, pull your ear back and up, and insert it to the point where you almost don’t even see the earplug sticking out,” then let the plug expand in the ear canal. Without this technique, earplugs can end up “doing almost nothing.”
