Is Custom Hearing Protection Worth It?

Custom hearing protection may seem like a large initial outlay when it comes to protecting the hearing of your employees. However, there are three major factors that combine to make this expense worthwhile and make custom hearing protection the most effective type of hearing protection there is.

1. Most comfortable type of hearing protection

No two ears are alike – ears are as unique as fingerprints. So why do we expect the same hearing protection to work for different people? One of the most common complaints about hearing protection is that it’s uncomfortable - a study by the National Institute of Health found that nearly half of employees didn’t believe hearing protection could fit comfortably when being worn correctly. The reason for discomfort varies by type of hearing protection – single use hearing protection comfort issues are typically in the ear canal, while earmuffs can be uncomfortable in high heat environments or over prolonged periods of usage.

Custom fit hearing protection ensures that your employees don’t skip wearing hearing protection due to fit issues. Molded to your employees’ ear, and with a small design, our custom hearing protection protects your employees’ hearing without sacrificing comfort.

2. Communication hearing protection

Another common complaint about hearing protection is that employees cannot communicate with each other. Although industrial noise is generally loudest in the lower frequencies, typical hearing protection blocks more sound in high frequencies and less in the low frequencies. This means you are sacrificing speech clarity, while receiving a lower amount of protection where it is needed.

Blocking speech frequencies is another reason employees do not wear hearing protection as consistently as they should, leading to an increased risk of damage. For example, an employee who is exposed is in noise removing hearing protection for 2 minutes makes it 25% less effective. By the end of the day, that quickly adds up. 2 hours without hearing protection in noise makes it 75% less effective. 

Our passive filtered custom hearing protection ensures attenuation is most effective across all frequencies evenly. This means that your employees will still be able to communicate without needing to remove their hearing protection. 

3. Correct & consistent use of hearing protection

The most effective type of hearing protection is known to be the type that your employees will wear consistently and correctly when exposed to noise. However, according to a study by NIOSH, over 50% of employees exposed to loud levels of noise do not wear their hearing protection correctly.

The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) label on hearing protection doesn’t automatically mean your employees receive that level of attenuation. Rather, it is the level that was achieved when it was inserted/worn correctly. A study by the National Institute of Health found that for a type of disposable earplug advertised to attenuate 25 decibels, over half of the workers were getting attenuation of about 5 decibels or less.

Both disposable hearing protectors and earmuffs can be challenging to fit correctly. Earmuffs, while very effective when worn right, can lose attenuation if items such as safety glasses and even hairstyles break the seal around the ear. 

Our custom fit hearing protection is easy to use, with no special insertion method required. Simply twist slightly and insert, and it’s good to go. And to help determine if your employees are receiving the correct level of attenuation, we also offer hearing protection fit testing services. 

Most effective type of hearing protection: the bottom line

While custom hearing protection can be a slightly larger initial outlay, your ROI should be realized in 18 months over disposable, and our 6-year guarantee will save you over 50% the cost of disposable. It is clearly the winner when it comes to the most effective type of hearing protection. Our filtered custom hearing protection is comfortable, easy to use correctly, and allows employees to communicate without exposing themselves to dangerous levels of noise.

Unsure what type of hearing protection is best for your employees? Check out this quick guide!

Click to find out more or give us a call at  888.972.4420!