Tests and dosimetric evaluation of exposure to noise of people wearing hearing protectors

The aim of the task was to check if in real conditions workers using well selected ear-muffs are sufficiently protected against noise. A new objective method of testing exposure to noise of people wearing ear-muffs was developed. A device for measuring noise in real conditions with that method was developed and constructed. It uses a SVAN 948 sound analyser and a 4-channel miniature microphone system. This method was the basis of a procedure of dosimetric tests of exposure to noise of people wearing ear-muffs. It was verified at 65 workstations in 6 industrial enterprises.An analysis of the obtained results has led to the conclusion that the main reasons why hearing protection was not efficient were that ear-muffs were not worn correctly, their construction was not adjusted to the shape of the head and that worn-out ear-muffs which had lot their protection properties were used. Recommendations related to the use of hearing protectors and information and training materials for training courses for OSH services and employers were also developed.