When to Wear Hearing Protection

The summer season is an excellent opportunity to complete projects on your home renovation checklist. With the warm and extended daylight hours, it’s far more pleasant to spend time outdoors, enhancing your environment, and feeling a sense of achievement. Whether you tackle a handful of minor updates or bigger renovations this year, remember to protect your hearing and use the necessary measures to prevent permanent damage to your ears.

The recommended safe listening level is 85 decibels (dB), which is comparable to the sound of busy traffic or a blender.

Garden Maintenance: Cutting the grass, employing leaf vacuums, and handling chainsaws are all routine activities that can harm your ears. Below are images of the tools I use most often and their dB readings.

During a test of my lawnmower, the sound typically reached about 80 decibels (dB) This isn’t harmful to my ears, particularly since it’s only in use for an hour. Lawnmowers that run on gas or are operated while riding tend to make more noise. My leaf vacuum was particularly loud, consistently hitting over 95 dB! I can only use this device for less than 30 minutes without risking ear damage, though it’s advisable to wear ear protection for safety. The dB readings for my chainsaw ranged from 98 to 100 dB, and I always wear earplugs when operating it to prevent immediate damage to my hearing.

Woodworking: Utilising power equipment such as saws, sanders, and drills can lead to noise levels that are significantly higher than what is considered safe for hearing. For instance, table saws can produce noise as loud as 100 dB, which is enough to cause permanent hearing damage in just 15 minutes without the use of ear protection.

Tidying up: Cleaning with a pressure washer is a rewarding activity that can achieve impressive outcomes, particularly in areas that are frequently used or have aged. The noise produced by a pressure washer varies based on whether it’s powered by gas or electricity. Gas-powered ones can reach up to 100 dB, comparable to the sound of a firework, whereas electric ones typically stay below the safe noise level, but it’s wise to use a decibel meter to confirm.

Home Renovation: Activities like demolition, pounding, and using nail guns are among the noisiest parts of building projects. Nail guns can create noise as loud as 120 dB, similar to that of a firework, and being exposed to the sound of hammering for long durations can be harmful.

These activities can be carried out safely with simple adjustments. You probably already wear the right gear to protect your skin and eyes from debris or harmful substances, so adding ear protection is a simple step to enhance your safety and well-being while working. Foam earplugs or earmuffs, and in some cases, both when the noise exceeds 100 dB for a prolonged time, should be worn before beginning any task. It’s important to avoid using personal music devices while operating loud machinery, as you might increase the volume of your music to hear it over the noise of your tools.

Should you notice any issues with your hearing, such as trouble hearing or persistent sounds like ringing, buzzing, or hissing in your ears, it’s important to consult your audiologist promptly. This will help assess your hearing capabilities and talk about suitable solutions for hearing loss, including the use of hearing protection, especially when undertaking home improvement tasks.