Getting the correct ear defenders

[Lancstree]

I was told by a lantra trainer that as a rule of thumb the SNR rating on the earmuffs should be taken off the decibel output from the machine you are using to bring the noise at the ear to less than 85db. E.g. MSA Sordin HPE (chipper spec) are rated at 31 snr and a timberwolf tw 190 outputs at (I think) is 119db. That would bring the noise down to 88db at the ear which is above the desired 85db, recommended by the HSE.

 

Is this rule of thumb correct?

 

I can't see the rating on the chipper on the machine specification and it's not to hand to have a look at the machine so I may be wrong stating 119db. In which case all of the above would be meaningless!

[aspenarb]

I was told by a lantra trainer that as a rule of thumb the SNR rating on the earmuffs should be taken off the decibel output from the machine you are using to bring the noise at the ear to less than 85db. E.g. MSA Sordin HPE (chipper spec) are rated at 31 snr and a timberwolf tw 190 outputs at (I think) is 119db. That would bring the noise down to 88db at the ear which is above the desired 85db, recommended by the HSE.

 

Is this rule of thumb correct?

 

I can't see the rating on the chipper on the machine specification and it's not to hand to have a look at the machine so I may be wrong stating 119db. In which case all of the above would be meaningless!

 

Its good that you are taking the subject of ear defenders seriously, most of us old gits were brought up on a diet of really noisy old machines and a lack of decent ear defenders. Its the main reason most of us have tinnitus ,partial deafness or both. Anyway back to TW and their 119db, according to their blurb the 119db is a worst case recorded scenario they choose to quote rather than an average like other manufacturers quote which is much lower . So you are probably ok .

 

Bob

[GregM]

Go for the best ones, its only a few £ extra, when im logging up big timber all day I put in some earplugs underneath, that works really well.

[TheHungrySquirrel]

Anybody know what ears are fitted to the new husky tech hats? Mines only a few months old but they don't seem very noise blocking.

[se7enthdevil]

don't know much about different ones but i use peltor optime III

[skyhuck]

Not sure I would worry to much, I've been using saws and chippers for 20+years, I pretty much always used ear defenders and my hearing is excellent. I live with my wife and four children, but its generally me that hear the bell or someone phone ringing at the other end of the house.

 

I also listen to the radio inside my earmuffs, I wonder if this helps ward off tinnitus as your ear is picking out the sound rather than just hearing a continual noise, even through its muffled.

[Mark Bolam]

What?

[10 Bears]

At 90dB and above there is the risk of permanent hearing damage, so as long as your ears are protected and the net dB falls below 90 then you will be fine.

 

As mentioned above, I also wear a combined ear defenders/ear plugs if I was doing something particularly loud or for a long period of time e.g. peeling and pointing posts on a PTO.

 

Came across this interesting table after a very quick search: Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart

 

Info like the hand drill makes you realise how low 90dB is and you are putting yourself at risk of going mutton...

[Lancstree]

I like the table. The best earmuffs I've used were the old husky ground helmet and I think they were only 27snr. They just seemed to clamp over your ear and make a better seal than these new climbing helmet ones

[Ben90]

I use that rule of thumb as well. I have rubber mushroom shaped plugs on a cord tied to either side of my lid with the same SNR as the muffs (around 28) great for stop-start cutting work, especially in hot weather. I double up for things like logging. For all day chipper-thons or big saw logging I often switch to foam plugs with 38 SNR and the defenders on top.

 

I read a few articles that said wearing both will not give you the sum of both the SNR ratings, more like 5-10 on top of the most effective one.