Page 24 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2017

HEARING PROTECTION
Q: Do workers often wear ear plugs that don’t really offer much protection, due to poor selection or fit?
A: One of the major benefits of fit-test- ing hearing protectors is to identify those workers who have a poor fit. In some fa- cilities, we have found more than half the noise-exposed workers “fail” to achieve even 50 percent of the protection levels on the package, even though they are part of an ongoing hearing conservation program that includes training and audiometric testing. This “failure,” though, is actually the ideal opportunity to provide critical one-on-one training in proper fitting of the ear plug.
Q: Based on your experience, are there specific steps that you would rec- ommend?
A: Here are three proven best practices that are easy to teach for proper ear plug fit:
1. Roll
■ For roll-down foam ear plugs, start rolling the foam gently to avoid creases. Then roll as hard as you can to make the
cylinder as small as possible.
■ Rolling the ear plug into a tight
cylinder makes it easier to fit around the bends in the ear canal.
■ After rolling, move quickly to the next step so that the ear plug doesn’t ex-
pand before insertion. 2.Pull
■ Reach over the head to pull OUT (or for some people, pull UP or BACK) on the earflap,calledthepinna.Firmlypullingthe ear OUT helps spread open the ear canal
TROUBLESHOOTING CHART FOR IMPROVING FIT
Problem
Cause
Solution
Too much ear plug showing
Foam ear plug not rolled down small enough
Start rolling gently to avoid creases, then roll firmly to make the cylinder as small as possible.
Ear plug expanded before insertion
After rolling, move quickly to insert before foam expands.
Insertion not deep enough
Reach over the head to pull OUT (or for some people, pull UP or BACK) on the ear flap, called the pinna.
Ear plug is too large
Try a smaller ear plug.
Hidden Leak
Creases in ear plug may be allowing noise to leak through
Do not twist or squeeze down the ear plug. Properly roll it -- gently at first to avoid creases, then roll firmly to make the cylinder as small as possible.
Ear plug hits wall of ear canal and bends back on itself
Removal sometimes shows a U-shaped ear plug. Reach over the head to pull OUT on the pinna to straighten the ear canal before inserting.
Round ear plug may not fill oval ear canal
Some round pre-molded ear plugs may not completely fill an oval-shaped ear canal. Try a foam ear plug that can expand to fill the oval.
Discomfort
Ear plug is too firm
Try a soft-foam ear plug or a low-pressure foam ear plug.
Ear plug is too large
Try a smaller ear plug.
Ear plug is hitting the bend in the ear canal
Before inserting, straighten the ear canal by reaching over the head to pull OUT (or for some people, pull UP or BACK) on the pinna.
Source: Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions
20 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2017
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