When it comes to the question of who needs to be wearing hearing protection the answer is a somewhat simple one – anyone who is working in a noisy environment or who does a hobby that is noisy should be wearing hearing protection. You only get one set of ears, which is why taking care of them and their inner workings is so crucial.

If the noise level exceeds 85 dB then ear protectors should always be worn. Wearing a hearing protection device decreases the noise that the ear is exposed to and reduces the risk of the hearing being damaged. Of course, not everyone knows when they should be wearing hearing protection, which is where some of the issues occur.

Not sure if you need to wear hearing protection? Have a read of our guide to who should be wearing hearing protection, and why!

People who attend a lot of noisy events

A lot of people presume that one-off events can’t cause hearing problems but the fact is that they can. Did you know that if you attend a large number of noisy events each year, you could potentially be damaging your hearing without realizing it. Say, for instance, you regularly attend music festivals where the sound levels exceed 140 dB, you could be putting your hearing at risk. The chances are that after these kinds of events you are left with a ringing in your ears – this is a sign that you’ve listened to something that is far too loud.

People who work in loud environments

People who work in loud environments also need ear protection on hand, to ensure that their ears don’t get damaged over time. Who is at risk? People in the armed forces, people who work in construction, people who work with industrial machinery, and people who work in heavy traffic conditions. How long you can be exposed without damaging your hearing depends on how loud the noise actually is – the safest option is to always wear ear defenders when working in a loud environment, to ensure that your hearing is kept safe.

People who use loud equipment at home

You would think that unless you turn your music up to the maximum or have your TV on extra loud, your hearing would be safe at home. However, that is not the case – there are various things that can cause hearing issues while at home. Say, for instance, you use a leaf blower around your garden to clear the dead leaves, if this is loud it could also damage your hearing, which is why it’s important to keep a pair of earmuffs (also called ear defenders) at home, so that you have them whenever you need them.

These days there are various ear defender designs to choose from, so whatever you are doing, whether it’s working in a loud environment or attending multiple music festivals, there’s sure to be a suitable ear muff style. Just make sure to check that the design you opt for can offer the right level of hearing protection, as not all ear muffs are born equal.