Why hearing protection is rare in construction industry
Predictors of Hearing Protection Use in Construction
A 2009 study from the United States aimed to find out what predicted the use of hearing protection in construction workers, and why hearing protection use was so limited.
Initially, the researchers wanted to confirm the loudness of construction sites. By measuring noise levels on job sites, they found the average noise levels for all trades were around 90 dBA (well above the occupational noise safety levels) and almost 1/3rd of workers shifts were spent in unsafe noise levels above 85 dBA.
By having the workers report their hearing protection use throughout their day, less than 35% wore their hearing protection regularly and Over 45% of workers reported not wearing any hearing protection at all.
The question then becomes, why are some workers (35%) diligent in their hearing protection use, while many (45%) don’t wear hearing protection at all?
The answer, among other factors was that workers finding hearing protection uncomfortable and time consuming were more likely to not wear any protection at all.
What can we do about hearing protection use?
To address poor use of hearing protection in the construction industry, we must select hearing protection that is both comfortable and less time consuming to insert.
Custom earplugs are easier to insert than non-custom foam plugs, more comfortable and provide better noise attention. There is a wide variety of custom earplugs available depending on the specific requirement of the worker, or job site. Feel free to contact us if you’d like to learn more about better hearing protection solutions for your job, or learn more here.
