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Improve Hearing Health 
Protect remaining hearing from noise 

  • Daily sounds and safe listening

  • Noise and OTC Hearing Aids 

  • Check noise profile to be prepared for loud places 

  • Check noise at workplace and protect

  • Learn more with Safe Listen eTool   

Daily sounds and safe listening

Loud noise damages hair cells of your ear and can worsen hearing loss - but it is PREVENTABLE by maintaining noise exposures within recommended limits

Harmful sounds damage stereocilia that can no longer generate the electrical signals to be read by the brain

  • The average person is born with about 16,000 stereocilia (hair cells) within cochlea

  • Loud sounds can be harmful because they can damage the stereocilia can be permanently damaged

  • The loss can progress if there is continued exposure to harmful sounds

Noise can also damage nerves in your ears by damaging the auditory nerve that carry the electrical signals to the brain

Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) by NIOSH (CDC) is 85 dB averaged over an eight-hour workday

  • Decibels (dB), the measure of sound loudness and power, is logarithmic

  • This means that a sound that is 10 dB louder than another is ten times more intense

  • Exposure to noise at or above the limit can increase risk of significant hearing loss during lifetime

Based on this limit, some everyday sounds can be unsafe​​​

​Safe sounds: dBs that do not typically cause damage when listening all-day

  • Normal breathing (10)

  • Ticking watch (20)

  • Soft whisper (30)

  • Refrigerator hum (40)

  • Normal conversation (60)

  • Air conditioner (60)

Close to safe limit : Just below being unsafe (dB). You may be annoyed if listening for too long

  • Washing machine (70)

  • Dishwasher (70)

  • City traffic, inside the car (80–85)

Unsafe: Unsafe (dB)- possibility for worsening hearing loss, pain, ear injury

  • Gas-powered lawn-mowers (85-90)

  • Motorcycle (95)

  • Powertools (95-115)

  • Approaching subway train, car horn, and sporting events such as hockey, football (100+)

  • Maximum volume level for personal listening devices; a very loud radio, stereo, or television; loud entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars, rock concerts (100+)

  • Shouting or barking in the ear (110+)

  • Sirens (120+)

  • Firecrackers (140-150+)

​Noise and OTC Hearing Aids

For OTC Hearing Aids, FDA's Required Maximum Output Limit is based on principles of NIOSH Recommendation

  • Maximum Output Limit: 117 dB SPL (Sound Pressure Limit) with input controlled compression

  • This balances:

    1. Effectiveness - to hear 'lost' sounds. If amplification is too low, these sounds will not be heard even with hearing aids

    2. Safety - for user to have some time to react to loud sounds, reduce volume or remove hearing aids​

​FDA guidance to protect from noise damage

  • Hearing aids are not for hearing protection

  • If sound is uncomfortably loud or painful - immediately

    1. Turn down the volume

    2. Remove the hearing aid

    3. Wear hearing protection if you continue to be in the loud environment

How do you know it is 'loud'?

  • You need to constantly increase/ maximize hearing aid volume to listen

  • You feel the sound is painful​

Steps you can take when wearing a hearing aid​

  • Be cautious of environments that are known to have unsafe sound

  • Lower volume or remove hearing aid

    • Move away from loud sound source or

    • Take breaks from listening to the loud sound

  • Wear earplugs: Reusable earplugs are provided with the hearing aid accessories ​

    • Keep the earplugs in the provided case handy for unexpected loud noises

    • See 'Use and Maintain' section for correct wearing 

    • Wash in mild soap and water for reuse

Check your noise profile to be prepared for loud places - see below​​

Check your noise profile to be prepared for loud places

​WORK

  • Mining

  • Lumber, Wood 

  • Manufacturing 

  • Utilities

  • Repair, Maintenance

  • Construction

  • Transportation  Warehousing

  • Printing press

  • Emergency response

  • Military

​COMMUTE

  • Public transportation

  • Loud headphone

  • Loud car audio 

  • Car, open windows

  • Motorcycles

  • High speed bikes

​HOME

  • Blender

  • Grinder

  • Food processor

  • Noisy fan

  • Noisy air conditioner

  • Dish washer

  • Vacuum cleaner

  • Garbage disposal

  • Loud radio, stereo

  • Loud TV

​AFTER-WORK

  • Gym

  • Bar/Restaurant 

  • Sporting event 

  • Music/Band 

  • Lawn mowing

  • Leaf/Snow blowing

  • Power tools

  • Video games

  • Live performances

  • Fireworks

  • Boating

  • Snowmobile 

  • Motorcycle 

  • Hunting

  • Target shooting

  • Race Track

​ACCIDENTAL

  • Alarms

  • Sirens

  • Firearms

  • Blasts

  • Bulldozers

Estimate the amount of time you spend in the loud places 

  • See if there are changes in a typical weekday vs weekend

  • Check if there are changes with season e.g. lawn mowing during summer

  • Use this information to balance your activities to be within a safe limit  

Consider simple steps to lower impact of loud noise

  • Move away from source

  • Spend less time in the noisy place, take breaks

  • Remove hearing aids and put on earplugs

Certain personal risks can worsen damage by loud noise

  • Certain drugs or chemicals ('ototoxins')

  • Prior medical history such as repeated ear infections, head injury, genetic causes

  • Personal habits like smoking, vaping, other medical conditions

  • Read more in 'Protect from otoxins' 

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Check noise in workplace

Check if you work in industry (NAICS code) with high noise hazards - starting from highest noise 

Mining (21), Manufacturing (321, 322, 323, 337), Utilities (22), Agriculture, forestry, fishing (21), Repair & Maintenance (811), Manufacturing (316, 326, 331, 332), Construction (23), Manufacturing (311-315, 336, 339), Arts, Entertainment & Recreation (71), Transportation & Warehousing (48, 49), Manufacturing (324, 325, 333-335), Wholesale Trade (42), Public Administration (92), Retail Trade (44, 45), Other Services (72, 81), Educational Services (61), Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (54), Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (51-53), Healthcare and Social Services (62)

NAICS: North American Industry Classification System 

Know about accurate workplace noise measurement

  • Calibrated sound level meters, noise dosimeters, and octave band analyzers

  • Measure throughout the workplace, throughout the day and check frequently

  • Check the dB results particularly for areas where you work

Check on 'Engineering' controls

  • Use equipment that produces less noise (e.g., buy-quiet programs)

  • Use shields or other barriers around sound source

  • Properly maintain, lubricate equipment to make them less noisy

Check on 'Administrative' controls

  • Plan ahead to know when/where there are noise hazards

  • Change/modify work schedules to lower amount of time in the high noise area

  • Use practices such as distancing from noise-producing equipment

Use specialized hearing protection or 'PPE' appropriate for you

  • General hearing protectors increase difficulty with hearing co-workers, sound of machinery, direction of sound source

  • Specialized hearing protectors can provide more clearer sounds that general protectors

  • Earmuffs with communication features can also help

  • Select hearing protector based on comfort, fit, communication needs

  • Right hearing protector is one that can be worn for as long as it is needed

  • Discuss your individual hearing protector needs with your Safety Officer

Know about specialized audiometric testing

  • Remove hearing aid, be tested with the appropriate headphones and procedures

  • There may be referrals for further evaluation and testing

  • Discuss appropriate testing with Safety Officer

Safely wear Hearing Aids during work

  • Wear hearing aids: To do a better job, prevent hurting yourself and others

  • Do not wear hearing aids: In areas with hazardous noise, sound feels uncomfortable, painful

  • Wear hearing protectors: When you remove hearing aids

  • Check: If hearing aids can be worn underneath an earmuff - discuss with Safety Officer

NOTE Hearing aids in the turned-off position CANNOT be used instead of hearing protectors as they do not protect from noise

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The Safe Listen eTool provides information on:

  • Hearing essentials

  • ​Hearing and ear protection

  • Early detection and care

  • Hearing wellness planning

​Use of the App along with the dedicated eTool, as part of your healthy lifestyle, may help lower risk of Noise Induced Hearing Loss.

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© 2025 Audition Technology

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