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Hearing damage isn’t always the result of explosions or other single, loud noises. A lot of damage occurs at much lower levels and more gradually, especially if you’re exposed to constant low background noise. Noise intensity, duration of exposure, and the type of sound all contribute to how it can damage your hearing. Even slight hearing loss can have an impact on your life, and the damage is irreversible above certain decibel levels. Symptoms include ringing in your ears, noises sounding …

Industrial environments with high noise levels, like construction sites, can potentially damage workers’ hearing. Sound level meters that are used for acoustic measuring indicate noise levels in a workplace, and let workers know when it’s time to put on their PPE. According to OSHA, if noise level exceeds 85dB, they must put on personal hearing protection equipment to prevent hearing loss. There are three important factors that can put you at risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL): ho …

Hearing protection is a necessity for many of our customers, and for a variety of reasons. Some of the folks shopping at PK Safety are looking to drown out the sound of a snoring spouse, others need protection from industrial manufacturing equipment or other heavy machinery; still others are hunters looking for protection from gunshot noise. The common thread among all of them is they want protection that is also comfortable. Each piece of hearing protection must be tested and appro …

The Moldex Battleplugs are a new type of reusable earplug. These patented, baffled hearing protection devices have two modes which provide completely different noise reduction ratings. A small hinge on the outside part of the earplug allows a cap to be either open or closed depending on the expected noise level. If the caps are closed, the Battleplugs have a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 24. In the open position, they have an NRR of 9. When the caps are open, the wearer is still pr …

Your ears are pretty incredible if you consider what they can do. They can hear a wide range of noises from a cricket in the field to the roar of a jet engine. But they do have their limits, and even short exposure to very loud sounds will permanently damage the nerves of the inner ear. In the working world jackhammers are a great example of a really useful tool that can quickly damage an ear's ability to hear. A jackhammer working concrete is about as bad as it gets in terms of hearing …