Hearing protection in South Africa: Making the right choice is essential

There are many types of hearing protection in South Africa which are suitable for different situations and if you work in or are passing through high-noise level areas you need the right level of protection. It is important to strike the right balance between the need to adequately protect your hearing from dangerous noise while not compromising your ability to hear and communicate. The below chart gives you an overview of which uvex earplug may be suitable based on the noise level.

How do I find the right hearing protection?

First of all, you have to ask yourself: Do I need earmuffs or plugs? To find the answer to that question, our "A question of safety" video should prove to be helpful.

What level of protection do I need?

The short answer: noise level – SNR value

Noise levels in the workplace must be measured first in order to determine what level of protection is required. The Health and Safety professional or external qualified service providers should conduct tests using approved test equipment. The continuous noise level and, if necessary, the peak emission noise level are measured, enabling a noise profile to be recorded. Appropriate hearing protection can then be selected using the SNR method.

The objective when choosing suitable hearing protection is to achieve an effective residual noise level of between 70 dB and 80 dB for the wearer. If the protection level is too high (over-protection), this can result in the inability to communicate and the risk of not hearing critical messages, instructions, or signals.

Example: Noise level 100 dB – uvex xact-fit, SNR 26 dB = 74 dB

High performing product

Quality and technology makes all the difference. We understand that for safe and efficient word the design, type and quality of materials used to produce hearing protection all have a bearing on the protective properties, comfort and fit. Slow expansion free foam exsures an accurate and unique fit to your ear canal, that's more comfortable for long periods of wear and, most importantly, provides full- spectrum noise protection you can trust.

For help selecting the right hearing protection for your workplace, please fill out the below form and we will get in contact with you.

Handling earplugs for hearing protection

Use

To guarantee optimum hearing protection, uvex disposable hearing protection plugs must be used correctly.

disposable hearing protection plugs

(1) Briefly roll down uvex disposable hearing protection plugs.

(2) Put your arm over your head and move the ear slightly upwards to straighten your auditory canal. This achieves a better fit.

(3) Insert plugs and hold them in place while they expand. If they are not visible from the front, then they are in the right position.

reusable ear plugs

(1) Take uvex reusable earplugs by the handles and place the cord around your neck.

(2) Insert uvex ear plugs into the auditory canal, applying gentle pressure.

Hygiene

In dirty working environments, particles can easily stick to the surface of materials and cause minor injuries in the ears.

disposable hearing protection plugs

Please dispose of uvex disposable hearing protection plugs after each use.

reusable ear plugs

(1) Easy to clean with uvex damp cleaning cloth.

(2) Alternatively, clean them with water and mild soap.

(3) Dry them and store in the uvex hygiene box when not in use.

Video

disposable hearing protection plugs

reusable ear plugs

Hearing protection solutions

Every ear is different. All ear canals vary in shape and size, so earplugs must be able to provide the right fit. For this reason, uvex offers a variety of options for hearing protection, which are suitable for different shapes and sizes.