Without the right tools, how can you do the best job? The reality is, you can’t, and neither can your team. When it comes to hearing protection, custom is best. While disposable foam earplugs are popular and convenient, they probably aren’t offering the protection that you think they are. The reason for this is not because disposable earplugs don’t work as well, but because they aren’t put in correctly and lose their effectiveness.
That’s why safety managers across the U.S. and Canada have come to rely on the comfort, cost, effectiveness and environmental benefits of custom hearing protection like dB Blockers.
Any hearing protection device has to form a tight seal around or in the ear to be effective. When used correctly, foam earplugs form a deep seal within the ear canal, causing a constant feeling of pressure, or what some people describe as “plugged up.” While effective, this feeling is not particularly comfortable, especially when worn for hours at a time. Earplug users commonly complain about ear pain, headaches and fatigue.
To combat this, many workers frequently mess with their hearing protection or don’t wear it at all. While this can be more comfortable, it can actually lead to more hazardous noise levels in the ear, as poorly fit earplugs let in more noise and trap that sound against the inner ear, making the noise level under the earplugs higher than it is outside the ear. Even after receiving training on how to use earplugs correctly, most workers continue to use foam earplugs incorrectly, either for ease of use or comfort. Old habits die hard, after all!
dB Blockers are formed by a hearing protection specialist to the contours of the wearer’s ears. As custom earmolds are made from an impression of the ear, they fit perfectly in the ear with no sensation of pressure. Custom earplugs are also developed with soft, safe, medical-grade material that doesn’t shrink or change form depending on temperature or use.
A secure fit also means custom hearing protection has a break-in period. Think of it like a new pair of shoes! It takes a couple of wears, but pretty soon they’ll be your favorite pair. Here’s how it works. During the first uses, earmolds require a light application of lubricating gel, but after ten or so uses, the surface of the earmold will slide more easily over the skin of the ear and sit comfortably!
First-time users will find that putting on custom-fit earplugs requires a simple twist into place. We’ll show them how, and it will then be second nature.
At Protect Ear, we don’t shy away from talking about costs because it means we get to discuss how much you could be saving every year. Using our cost calculator, we can give you a personalized estimate to showcase the savings of custom hearing protection over disposable products.
It’s no secret that custom hearing protection is more expensive than foam earplugs… or so it seems. Unlike foam earplugs, dB Blockers are a long-term investment in your team’s hearing health. And, it’s an investment that pays for itself in only 6 to 9 months. With an average product life expectancy of 5 years, that leaves 4.5 years of essentially cost-free, custom hearing protection for your team, whereas foam earplugs can only be worn once and must be constantly replaced.
That doesn’t even factor in the potential savings custom hearing protection can bring from mitigated claims of disposable plugs worn incorrectly or not at all. Remember, when your team is protected, so is your business. All you have to ask now is what you could be saving by switching to custom hearing protection
Not only are dB Blockers comfortable and affordable, but they are also more effective at blocking sound than traditional foam earplugs. Why? There are a couple of reasons.
First, foam earplugs are unable to adjust well to variations in ear size and shape. Custom earplugs are tailor-made for each individual; ear size and shape variations don’t get in the way of effectiveness.
Second, foam earplugs reduce all-around sound quality and produce a confined sensation instead of targeting just the harmful noise. More noise reduction than necessary makes users feel isolated from their environment and often results in workers removing their earplugs in order to hear co-workers or safety alerts — which kind of defeats the purpose, don’t you think?
Custom earplugs can be molded with special filters for a precise, even level of noise reduction, specifically tuned to your work environment. dB Blockers can be tuned to reduce volume only by the necessary amount and can filter certain kinds of sound more than others, preserving the quality of sounds you want to hear, like speech and music.
Disposable earplugs have been around for years, and given the materials they’re made of, they will continue to be around long after us. Foam earplugs are predominantly made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane, both fossil-based plastics.
According to the Center for Environmental Health, PVC is one of the most harmful plastics to both people and the planet. Not only during production, which emits many hazardous chemicals, but PVC is problematic after disposal, as well.
By investing in custom hearing protection, companies can limit the environmental impacts and health concerns of foam earplugs. With a 5-year life expectancy, fitting a team with dB Blockers prevents hundreds of thousands of earplugs from ending up in the landfill every year.
When it comes to hearing protection, custom is best. While disposable foam earplugs are a popular and convenient choice, they don’t offer the protection that workers require in their workplace.
By investing in reusable hearing protection, companies can not only protect the long-term hearing health of their team but also improve the quality of their working environment and the comfort levels they feel all day.
Ready to switch to custom hearing protection? You can calculate the potential savings for your business using our easy-to-use online cost calculator. See how much dB Blockers could save you in no time!