Earplugs - How to find the right hearing protection?

The appropriate form of hearing protection varies according to the wearer’s ear and the area of application

Wearing period
Noise situation
Precision fit (people with beards or glasses)
Efficiency (insulating earpiece pads)
Ease of use
Compatibility with other PPE

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Earplugs - Area of application and noise exposure

Under the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1270:2002, the class is an easy way to choose a hearing protector appropriate to a noise exposure. The standard rates hearing protection into five classes, with Class 1 being the lowest level of protection and Class 5 being the highest level.

The system is based on the SOUND LEVEL CONVERSION (SLC80) rating which is the difference between the sound level of the environment in which the hearing protection is worn and the sound level reaching the wearer’s ears. This is converted to a Recommended Noise Range.

Once the extent of the noise hazard has been determined by a noise level survey, the user simply applies this to the table below for selecting an appropriate hearing protector For example f a person is exposed to noise with a LAeq,8h of 97 dB(A) a Class 3 hearing protector is suitable.

Earplugs - Size and Fit

Everyone’s ear canal is unique — much like a fingerprint. Which is why it’s even more important that you choose adequate and suitable hearing protection that is the correct size to achieve a good fit. uvex offers a complete range of hearing protection to ensure all wearers are able to achieve a fit that’s right for them.

Choosing the wrong size can severely reduce the protection value, exposing wearers to harmful noise, and makes the ear plugs uncomfortable to wear

If the earplugs are too large, they are unlikely to sit deep enough in the ear canal, so the specified protection level cannot be achieved. They’ll also feel uncomfortable
If the earplugs are too small, although they may be comfortable to wear, there could be noise leakage and reduced protection capacity which over time can cause noise-induced hearing loss.
Round earplugs don’t necessarily completely seal an oval-shaped ear canal. It is on this premise that we developed the uvex xact-fit range of hearing protectors.

Look out for different earplug sizes

It is best to try different sizes to find the one that gives you the best protection and fit. With the uvex com4-fit and uvex x-fit, we offer something for the majority of ear canal shapes.