IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference

April 10th, 2018

What Is Your Favorite Sound?

Hearing
Conservation
Tim Kearney, CSP, COHC
Take Care of
Your Hearing

Enjoy the Sounds

You Love to Hear

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3M3M 2017.AllAll
2017. Rights
Rights Reserved.
Reserved. © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 2

What Is Your Favorite Sound? Is This Your Favorite Sound?

Tinnitus: Ringing or buzzing in ears

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Listen to Hearing Loss Listen to Hearing Loss

Hearing loss from noise No hearing loss Animation used courtesy of NASA Glenn Research Center http://buyquietroadmap.com

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Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
1
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Too Much Exposure to Noise May Have a Big Effect The Danger of Loud Noise
on Your Life
• Poor communication • Any loud sound can damage hearing
• Entertainment – enjoyment of sound • Music, noise, gunfire, motor sports

• Stress • Single loud blast or explosion

• Repeated exposure to loud sound
• Strained relationships
• Less obvious than other physical hazards
• Difficulty at work
• Irritability
• Annoyance
• Fatigue

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Health Effects Health Effects

Inner Ear
Middle Ear
Outer Ear

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Health Effects Health Effects

• Loud sounds destroy “hair cells” in inner ear • Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)
• Tiny sensory cells respond to sound waves • Difficulty hearing quiet sounds
• Conversation sounds muffled
• Certain words are difficult to hear correctly
• Need to ask other people to repeat themselves
• Need to turn up volume on TV or radio

Before Noise After Noise

Photo credit - David J. Lim. (1986) Photo credit – I. M Hunter-Duvar (1977)

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Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
2
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Temporary vs. Permanent Hearing Loss Sound Level in Decibels dBA

• Temporary symptoms may go away after a

few hours or days
• Permanent hearing damage Prolonged exposure above
• Caused by repeated exposure to loud noise or 85 dBA may cause hearing
loss. Wear hearing protection.
even a single overwhelming pulse
• Cannot be reversed by medical treatment or
hearing aids

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Sound Level in Decibels dBA How Loud is Too Loud?

At high dB levels
hearing is damaged faster

Short exposures over 105 dBA

may cause hearing loss.
Wear earplugs and
earmuffs together.

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Employers Required to Measure Noise Annual Hearing Report

• Area noise measurements • Helps detect changes to an employee’s

• Average sound level over hearing over time
work shift • Technician or audiologist tests
• Time-Weighted Average (TWA) both ears in a quiet test room
• Employee noise dose • Employee will be notified if hearing
• Dosimeter measures % of changes
maximum allowable noise • Good time to ask questions about fitting
• Includes both noisy and quiet and using hearing protection correctly
times
Image used courtesy Med-Compass

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 18 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 19

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
3
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Annual Hearing Report Your Annual Hearing Report Audiogram

• Measures hearing threshold levels in decibels (dB) • Amount of Hearing Loss • What Causes Hearing Loss
• The quietest sounds that can be heard • 0 – 25 dB Normal hearing • Hazardous noise
• Check different frequencies from low (500 Hz) to high (8000 Hz) • 26 – 40 dB Mild loss • Earwax blockage
• 41 – 55 dB Moderate loss • Medical diseases
• 56 – 70 dB Moderate/severe loss • Head trauma
• 71 – 90 dB Severe loss • Heredity
• 91 – 100 dB Profound loss • Frequent ear infections
• Aging
• Medications
• Chemical exposures

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 20 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 21

Sample Audiogram Results Noise Controls May Help Lower Risk of Hearing Damage

• Many types
• Enclosures
Frequency of tones you hear (Hz)
• Walls
• Barriers
• Isolators and springs
• Mufflers
• Quiet air nozzles
• Always use and maintain controls to help lower noise
Normal hearing • Noise controls are preferred under OSHA regulations
levels (0-25 dB) Worse than normal levels
(more than 25 dB)
© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 22 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 23

Which Hearing Protector is Best? Noise Reduction Rating NRR

• Select protectors that: • Average noise reduction in
• Are comfortable laboratory test
• Fit your ears well • In workplace, the amount of
• Work with your noise reduction varies widely
clothes and equipment
• Depending on how well the
• Easy to put on and take off
hearing protector fits and is
used

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 24 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 25

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
4
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Why is Comfort So Important? Effective Protection Drops Quickly

When Hearing Protectors Are Not Worn

COMFORTABLE HEARING PROTECTORS ARE WORN LONGER 8 hours 7 hours 4 hours

30 dB 14 dB 5 dB

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You Can Still Hear When You Wear

Hearing Protection

Similar to wearing
sunglasses

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Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
5
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Disposable Earplugs Push-to-Fit Earplugs

• Soft foam • Foam tip with a handle

• Excellent comfort • No roll down required
• Must be rolled into a small cylinder • Works well when wearing
before inserting in the ear gloves or hands are dirty
• High noise reduction when worn
correctly

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 32 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 33

Reusable Earplugs Banded Earplugs

• Longer lasting than • Replaceable tips on a band

disposable foam earplugs • No roll down
• Washable • Convenient, quick fitting
• No roll down required • Good choice when noise is
• Works well when wearing on/off during the day
gloves or hands are dirty • May allow easier
• May allow easier conversation conversation

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 34 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 35

Earmuffs Protection With Communication

• Durable, long-lasting • Push-to-Listen

• Washable and reusable • Level-dependent
• Convenient • Hear more when it’s quiet
• Range of noise reduction available • Loud sound automatically
suppressed
• 2-way radio
• Noise-reducing
microphones

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 36 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 37

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
6
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Disposable Foam Earplugs

Practice Inserting Hearing Protectors

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Rolling Foam Earplugs Pull the Ear to Open It

• Reach behind neck

• Pull firmly up and back
• Insert tightly-rolled plug

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Plug Conforms to Ear Shape Insert Earplugs Farther Inside Ear

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 42 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 43

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
7
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Inadequate Roll Down Using Reusable Earplugs

• Pull ear
• Insert tip of plug into ear
• Moisten plugs before inserting
to make the process easier

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Reusable Earplugs Reusable Earplugs

• Pump test • Remove plug carefully

• Very lightly pumping motion • Twist or rock earplug to break
in and out 1 to 2 mm seal before pulling earplug out
• You should feel pressure • Go slowly to avoid discomfort
change in your ear

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 46 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 47

Insert Earplugs Farther Inside Ear Using Push-to-Fit Earplugs

• Pull ear
• Using foam tip of earplug
• Twist gently while inserting
• Nearly all of foam tip should
be in ear canal

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 48 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 49

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
8
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Insert Earplugs Farther Inside Ear Fit & Wear Earmuffs Properly

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 50 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 51

Fit & Wear Earmuffs Properly Maximizing Earmuff Fit

• Move hair out of cushion sealing area

• Verify cushions seal all around the ear
• Choose eyeglasses with thin, flat temples

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 52 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 53

Earmuff Noise Reduction Depends on Tight Seal Fit Testing Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR)

• Hair • 3M™ E-A-Rfit™ Dual-Ear Validation System

• Respirator
straps
• Eyeglasses
• Pinna

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 54 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 55

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
9
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Key Factors Involved in Speech Communication in Audiometric Screening and Interpretation

Noisy Environments

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NIHL Plus Hearing Protection Keys to Communicating in Noise

Example Signal
Vs. Noise

Signal-to-Noise Ratio
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Critical aspects of auditory awareness 3M™ PELTOR™ Communication Technologies

• Noise-cancelling microphones
• Sound Detection • Electronic / digital signal processing
• Sound Identification • Wireless communication

• Sound Localization • Noise reduction at the ear

• Sound reproduction on the inside of the hearing protector
• Distance Estimation
• Direction of movement
• Speech intelligibility

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 63

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
10
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Environmental Listening with Level-Dependent

Common Communication Technologies
Hearing Protection
Used in High Noise Environments
• In quiet environments, sounds pass ≤ 82dB
through.

Environmental Two-way
Listening radios
Entertainment • In loud environments, sounds are
compressed and the protection ≤ 82dB
becomes “level-dependent”.

The protection automatically adjusts as the noise level changes.

Bluetooth® Cellular
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by 3M PELTOR is under © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 66
© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved.
license.

Level‐Dependent Technology Environmental Listening with Level-

Example: 20dB Passive Protection vs. Level‐Dependent Protection (Unity Gain : 82dB Max) Dependent Hearing Protection
Most appropriate for:
75 dB Noise  20dB  55 dB  20 dB 
att. • Intermittent, varying, and/or unpredictable noise sources
Source at Ear Attenuation
• Situational awareness: alarms, moving vehicles, etc.

75 dB Noise  75 dB
70 dB  0 dB  • Key benefits:
90 dB Noise  20dB 
L‐D  20 dB 
Source att.
att. at Ear 
at Ear Attenuation
Attenuation • Helps with face-to-face communication
Source
• Minimizes over-protection
• May increase hearing protection compliance ProTac III Headset
90 dB Noise 
97 dB Noise  L‐D 
20dB  82 dB
77 dB 8 dB 
20 dB  Common applications:
Source att. at Ear  Attenuation Road/Building Construction
General/Heavy manufacturing
Law Enforcement/Military
97 dB Noise  L‐D  82 dB 15 dB 
• Limitation:
Source att. at Ear  Attenuation TEP-100
Limited benefits in continuous higher noise environments
© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 68

Bluetooth® Communication
Two-way radio communication
• Common Applications:
• Key Benefits: Connecting to a smart phone or Bluetooth® enabled two-way radio
Quick and reliable • Voice communication
Ability to broadcast messages to the work group • Streaming audio
• Benefits
• Common Use Cases: Full duplex communication (with smart phone)
Widely used in industry and military Fast, seamless connection between two devices
Standardized protocol enables compatibility with most Bluetooth devices
• Limitations: Cable free
• Limitations
Only one person can talk at a time
Requires close proximity of connected devices
Communication range is limited to ~1 mile or within a building
Presents an extra demand on the device’s battery
Can be susceptible to radio interference Disconnection potential

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 69 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by 3M PELTOR is under
license

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
11
 IAPP Aggregate Mining Safety Conference
April 10th, 2018

Entertainment Headsets Noise Cancellation Technologies

*
• Common applications • Active Noise Reduction
Mundane, repetitive activities Inverted phase waveform cancels out original sound/vibration
Limited need for communication or situational awareness Only practical for low frequency, consistent sounds
• Landscaping, assembly, etc. NOT effective for hearing protection
WorkTunes Pro
• Benefits AM/FM Headset
Job satisfaction and motivation
• Noise Cancelling Microphones
Two ports on either side of microphone diaphragm
Ambient noise reaches both ports approximately equally and
cancel each other out
Noise
Speech only enters on one side and is transmitted
Microphone
E-A-R buds™ diaphragm
Headphones *By Marekich (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. 2/10/16
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The Value of Protect Your Hearing Everywhere

Communication
Bluetooth®
Communication
Entertainment Reduced Productivity • WS Tactical Sport
• Worktunes Waste • WS 100
• EARbuds
• WS Headset XP
• WS ProTac XP

Safety Value Efficiency

Environmental Two-Way Radio

Listening Quality of Coordination Communication
• TEP/LEP Life • LiteCom
• Tactical Sport • COMTAC
• Tactical Pro • ORA TAC
• TAC 6S / • HT/MT Series
Soundtrap • HearPlugs
© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 74

Earplugs for Shooting Earmuffs for Shooting

Switch between two different modes • Electronics boost volume of sound in

• Open mode area until gun is fired

• Allows near normal listening • Sound of gunfire automatically

between shots reduced

• Noise reduction increases instantly

when gun is fired
• Closed mode
• Constant noise reduction

© 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 75 © 3M 2017. All Rights Reserved. 76

Timothy Kearney, CSP, COHC

tkearney@mmm.com or 616-649-8005
www.3M.com/CHC
12
Your hearing loss prevention
program starts here.

3M Center for Hearing Conservation Get started on the right

path today.
Maintaining an effective hearing loss prevention program
can be difficult. The 3M Center for Hearing Conservation
(CHC) is here to help make your job easier. Whether you’re
a safety professional, business owner or worker, this • 3M.com/CHC
comprehensive online tool can help guide you towards an
effective program at every step of your journey.
http://www.3m.com/
www.3M.com/HearingArchives
 • 3M.com/CHC

These seven elements of hearing conservation form the basis of an

effective hearing loss prevention program:

Measure Protect Train Evaluate

• People who are at • By3Mimplementing • A strong training • Companies can drive

risk can be identified hearing protection, program that addresses overall program
by measuring noise companies can trust employee knowledge, improvement by
levels and employee that their employees attitude and behaviors implementing a regular
noise exposures. are protected with high with active learning can evaluation to identify
Accurate noise level training, testing help ensure a company’s trends and address
assessment helps and evaluating. hearing conservation problem areas.
determine who to program success.
protect and how.

Control Check Record

• • •
With noise control To help detect early Good records can help
solutions, companies symptoms of over- companies demonstrate
can help reduce exposure to hazardous compliance with
the number of noise, companies must regulations to prevent
employees in their monitor employees noise-induced hearing
hearing conservation exposed to noise by loss, helping protect
program, ultimately implementing routine both employees and
reducing risk, cost and hearing checks. companies.
administrative time.

This is only an overview of some of the basics required for an effective hearing
loss prevention program, to learn more visit 3M.com/CHC.

For more information

In the U.S., contact:
Personal Safety Division Technical Service: 1-800-243-4630
3M Center, Building 235-2W-70 Customer Service: 1-800-328-1667 © 3M 2017. All rights reserved.
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000 3M.com/WorkerSafety 3M is a trademark of 3M Company.