Sound protection within a workshop environment is vital for every woodworker. The noise made machinery can damage hearing and prolonged use of noise producing machinery may also cause serious damage long term or lack of concentration short term. What many craftspeople forget is that something as small as ear protection means the world of difference between safe working practice and foolishness. Tempted to spend less money on items such as ear protection, the significance of the different types and qualities of ear protection is overlooked.

*Types of protection.

*Choosing the right kind of protection.

*What do dB levels mean?

*Using protection for short use of tools.

*Working in an environment where communication is vital.

*Examples of what is available on the market.

Types of ear protection.

It's easy for a carpenter to pick up a cheap pair of ear muffs. All the D.I.Y. Stores sell them, but how many people read the labels? Reading these can help you to decide which kind of ear protection is suitable to your use. Machines which you have in your workshop can determine the type you need. The noise levels of different machines are also different, and you need to gage the overall effect of these on your hearing.

To choose the right kind of ear protection, you need to know the kind of sounds being omitted from your machinery. Those ear muffs which protect you from ordinary everyday sounds are insufficient in a workshop environment, simply because they are not sufficiently effective against high frequency sounds produced by machines. Some of the loudest sounds in a workshop come from routers, table saws and power and thickness planers.

Another consideration has to be comfort. How long will you be wearing the protection and does it allow you full movement and flexibility? In a workshop environment, this needs to be taken account of simply because if you are uncomfortable or restricted, chances are you will not sustain wearing the protection for any length of time.

Will it get in the way of other gear worn? Often when working in high dust areas within a workshop environment, you will need to wear goggles or a mask. Can the protection you have chosen be worn in conjunction with other protection? This again is vital, since tempted to do without either the ear protection or other protection, you put yourself at risk.

Look also at the different options and fit. Often these have neck bands which may not be suited to your use. Comfort is

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