How to Protect Hearing at Work

Exposure to loud noise in the work place accounts for most reports of hearing loss. Loud noises, whether it's a one-time incident or continued over time, may cause damage the hair cells of the inner ear, causing a loss of hearing, ringing noises in the ears or sound distortion. Hearing protection is important in the work place in the presence of any activity that involves loud or repetitive noises.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine whether the noise level is high enough to damage your hearing. If it's necessary to shout above the noise to hear yourself, if your ears begin to ring after exposure to a loud noise, if your hearing has diminished or if you have a feeling of fullness after exposure to loud sounds, you may have been exposed to a level of noise that created hearing loss.

• 2

  Prevent hearing loss by following certain precautions since once your hearing is lost or damaged, the use of hearing aides is your only alternative. Avoid loud noises, if possible. If you must work in a noisy environment, wear earplugs supplied by your employer or purchase them yourself. Special ear muffs are also available for hearing protection.

• 3

  Use your earplugs correctly. There are several types of earplugs, and the instructions for their use are on the package. If not inserted properly, they won't serve the purpose of hearing protection. Some of them are dispposable, and others require routine cleaning. Remove them carefully, slowly wriggling them out of the ear to prevent damage to the ear canal.

• 4

  Check your hearing annually if your work environment is noisy. Most companies require their employees to have a baseline-hearing test, followed by an annual exam. This is the best way to tell if you are losing any of your hearing, since it may be a gradual process and difficult for you to detect until the damage is severe.