When we think about hearing protection, the obvious work places spring to mind such as: factories; roads and highways; and construction sites. But there are other places that you may not consider wearing ear protection that you really should. Have a think....i'm sure you can probably add some other places to this list!
These include....
1 - Schools
Whilst the classroom may be manageable in terms of level of noise, the playground isn't. Ear defenders wouldn't be appropriate but teachers could consider wearing custom made filtered or vented workplugs which allow the wearer to listen to speech in noise whilst reducing that noise by as much as 29dB.
2 - Coffee shops
The perfect place to chill out with your favourite hot drink but for those baristas serving up our favourite cuppa, the story might be quite different. The wheezing coffee machines that they spend hours working around all day make this work place less serene than for it's customers. Again filtered or vented workplugs may be the answer. Customers won't think you're ignoring them as they allow you to hear speech without issue but protecting those fine structures in your ears to allow you to work comfortably.
3 - Office
This may seem like an odd place to imagine wearing hearing protection but position yourself in the middle of an open plan office, in the centre of a busy sales team or with the unfortunate placing by a constantly used photocopier or printer and your ability to concentrate and work efficiently may be affected. Custom ear plugs are recommended once again to help provide some peace in this noisy environment.
4 - Bars and pubs
I think we all know how loud a good pub or bar can be. Add in a great live band and we are all set for a good night. But whilst the customer can walk away after a couple of hours, the bar staff don't have that option. If that's you, consider custom made ear plugs that will allow you to enjoy the shift as much as your clientele but safe in the knowledge that your ears are protected and you can still communicate effectively with your customers.
5 - Cinemas and theatres
I can't imagine i'm the only person who has noticed how loud the cinema has become. Try and think of ear protection as simply making the noise more manageable. If you're a regular culture vulture then why not add some comfort to your experience and if you're an employee then think more carefully about how some ear protection may be helping to prevent a hearing loss or tinnitus.