Top 4 Jobs that Require Ear Protection

When people need to see a hearing health professional for hearing loss or damage, it can often be attributed to their working environment. We often do not realize just how delicate our hearing is. As per law, there are a number of jobs that must involve workers wearing ear protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed a number of different health and safety documents and pieces of legislation that instruct employers on how to lower the health and safety risks of different working environments. Providing the correct hearing protection is one of the most critical steps. Below, we are going to take a look at four jobs that require ear protection so that you get a better understanding.

Musicians

The first type of job we are going to take a look at is that of a musician. It can be a very fine balance when it comes to getting hearing protection right for musicians. After all, you need to be able to hear what you are playing. However, at the same time, if you are playing in a large venue, like an arena or a stadium, there are going to be very loud speakers, and so you could be at risk of damaging your ears. It is always good to talk to an experienced professional who can advise you on how to protect your ears while performing.

Construction work

We all know that construction work can be loud. All you need to do is walk past a construction site to see that this is the case. This is why construction workers should always wear ear protection if they are using loud machines. A lot of the machines used on such sites will exceed 85 decibels, with jackhammers often reaching 130 decibels. If you do not protect your ears, you could pay the price.

Factory engineers

Do you work in a factory with loud machines? If so, then your employer should provide you with adequate ear protection. This will not be necessary for all parts of the factory – only those areas whereby loud machines are in use. For example, if you are in the part whereby products are being manufactured, you will definitely need ear protection, but you probably won’t if you are working in the packaging or administrative departments.

Airport workers

If you are working at an airport and you are outside, you are going to need ear protection. Job roles include the likes of fuelers, plane mechanics, and baggage handling. A jet can reach 140 decibels, making an airport one of the noisiest places to work. If you work inside of the terminal or you’re not near any of the planes, you’re probably not going to need any protection.

There you have it: four different jobs that all require ear protection. As you can see, these jobs are all very different from one and other. However, they all come with risks in terms of noise exposure, and protecting your ears is a must to ensure that you do not end up experiencing hearing problems or complete hearing loss.