Prevention officersOPPBTP (Professional Organization for the Prevention of Building and Public Works) are launching a prevention operation entitled “Against the noise I act“intended for construction workers. The aim of this campaign is to make professionals aware of the hearing risks they face on a daily basis if their ears are not properly protected. Uvex Safety, but also other partner brands such as 3M, DeltaPlus or again MSA is joining this campaign in order to highlight the different types of hearing protection that exist for construction or public works workers. They hope in this way to promote the hearing health of construction professionals.
The increase in noise pollution in the construction industry
Investigation SUMER 2017 (Medical surveillance of employee exposure to occupational risks) over the past twenty years has shown that, while exposure to physical constraints has generally fallen, this has not been the case for noise pollution. The industry, construction and service sectors are increasingly exposed to it. According to this study, 64% of construction workers are affected by strong noise pollution caused by their place of work. This is the reason why the OPPBTP prevention specialists set up the campaign “Against noise I act”, with a site specially dedicated to the operation and a supporting video:
Prevention solutions
Whatever your working environment, on construction sites or in your premises, several prevention solutions exist and deserve to be applied systematically. You must first check that the working conditions are optimal by adapting your equipment and making sure that the sources of noise pollution are not concentrated in the same place.
The most important point, however, is the need to equip yourself with hearing protection among all those offered by the manufacturers: shells to be worn over safety helmets, ear muffs or earplugs personalized, whether disposable or reusable.
– Ear muffs and earmuffs
Composed of shells fitted with flexible ear cups which apply directly to the periphery of the ear, noise-canceling headphones are available in many models. For example, we offer you a Max 510 Coverguard noise-canceling headset with its adjustable headband for an SNR of 29.8 dB. The individual and adaptable shells are designed to be attached to protective helmets. Discover for example the model of Uvex K2 collapsible SNR31 earmuffs which have extra soft foam padding, or the high visibility SNR35 K4 hearing ear muffs which benefit from a sound insulation the 35 dB.
– Personalized earplugs
More discreet, earplugs are generally made to measure in a material (silicone or acrylic resin) molded from an impression of the user’s ear canal. There are also standard preformed caps, made of silicone or rubber, to be inserted into the ear without prior shaping. There are also disposable caps compressible or kneadable foam that must be modeled before positioning them in the ear canal. Some caps are held in place by a plastic hoop. You can opt for a set of 15 COM-FIT disposable earplugs offering 33 dB insulation, or for earplugs connected by a foldable hoop.
If you are in doubt about the level of protection you really need, you can use applications such as the one offered by Uvex (Uvex Dezibel) to measure the sound volume of your environment to determine which hearing protection is most appropriate for you.
Once you have fully identified the type of hearing protection that meets your needs, you should make an effort to keep them for the duration of noise exposure. It is only on this condition that you will be able to protect your hearing from the risks incurred daily in your profession.