Ear Defenders

[Fishtigua]

I'm on an 'Elf & Safety course at the moment and we were talking about Ear Defenders and healthy hearing in the workplace. New levels of noise regulations have moved on from when I was a youngster.

Back in the late 80's we used to use oil-filled defenders in the engineroom of boats. These were great if you wore glasses as the seals worked around the frames well, much better than foam ones.

Can anyone remember the maker of these oil filled ones? I think ours were American made.

[eharding]

Gel filled seals, rather than oil filled, but David Clark make passive ear defenders as well as the comms kit:

http://www.davidclark.com/HeadsetPgs/hearprot.shtm...

[knight]

No idea if these are any use but it's what we get issued with at work.

http://www.howardleight.com/ear-muffs/leightning-h...

[King Herald]

We use Peltor Optime 105, but as mentioned, they don't work too well if you wear glasses.

My safety glasses have flat arms, so they aren't too bad, but if I have to work in the engine room for any length of time I put foam rubber ear plugs in as well.

[KelWedge]

There is no easy answer to ear defenders, it depends what you are using them for, I have several sets no one set would work in all places I use them. I have a nice Browning pair for Shooting cuts the bang out automatically but allows you to talk and listen as normal, work sets are Pelter and knock the sound out but have a push to talk. Then there,s the Terra Trip specialy made up set which is a bit of the sort used in micro lites crossed with a rally car intercom set which is fitted into the wedge for those long roof down motorway trips which reduces the sound a bit but allows you to talk and hear via the intacom.

[King Herald]

I had a pair of the custom moulded ear plugs made, but they simply didn't work. When fitted they seemed to hang a bit loose, and needed holding in a touch to seal.

They worked no better than a pair of ill-fitting throwaway foam ones, but cost me about 40 quid to have made, at a bike show.

[phumy]

I remember in the RN in the 70`s we used to have the Peltor type "ear muffs" for engine room duties, they had the ear seals filled with glycerene or glycol, probably glycerene and you knew when the seal broke as it normally either ran into your ear and filled it up or ran down your neck. Wires on the sides and up and over your head.

[Yachtworker]

You are over thinking this, plug in an iPod like the rest of the crew.

[Fishtigua]

Yachtworker said:

You are over thinking this, plug in an iPod like the rest of the crew.

Tris, it's about cutting noise pollution, not adding to it.

[markmullen]

King Herald said:

I had a pair of the custom moulded ear plugs made, but they simply didn't work. When fitted they seemed to hang a bit loose, and needed holding in a touch to seal.

They worked no better than a pair of ill-fitting throwaway foam ones, but cost me about 40 quid to have made, at a bike show.

Then I would suggest they weren't well made, which is a shame.

I had a set of custom made ones made back in about 97 or 98. They are still in service, still fit really well, there is a knack to putting them in but once there they stay in.

[King Herald]

markmullen said:

Then I would suggest they weren't well made, which is a shame.

You're not wrong.

They were moulded from my ears, but that would suggest they won't be an 'interference' fit, just a touch fit, which to my mind is wrong. They should need an extra bit of thickness all over so they grip.

[markmullen]

When I had mine done, by an audiologist, he examined my ears first, then fitted a little foam tampon right down my ear, then pumped the solution in, squeezed it into the external bit of my ear, let it set, removed it, cut a couple of mm off the inner section so it wasn't all the way down my ear. They are comfy, even when wearing them for hours on end.

[King Herald]

markmullen said:

When I had mine done, by an audiologist, he examined my ears first, then fitted a little foam tampon right down my ear, then pumped the solution in, squeezed it into the external bit of my ear, let it set, removed it, cut a couple of mm off the inner section so it wasn't all the way down my ear. They are comfy, even when wearing them for hours on end.

Mine were done the same way, but at a bike show! I was never happy with them. I still have them somewhere but never use them. I think they cost something like £40 or more.