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Ear protection is worn for various reasons…when using power tools, shop equipment, firearms, noisy yard equipment, at concerts, riding motorcycles… Personally, I wear ear protection so I don’t have to listen to my husband snore.  We both benefit greatly from this – I get sleep and he gets to keep breathing.

All noise-reducing products are required to have a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). The NRR formula is complicated and annoying to write about succinctly – if you can write about it clearly in three sentences or less I will buy you a beer. Just know that higher the number, the better the product.

You also should know:

• Always use hearing protection when exposed to 100dB or more, even if the exposure is short.
• Regular exposure to noise above 85 dB will cause a gradual hearing loss in a significant number of individuals. Louder noises will accelerate this damage.
• When noise measurements indicate that hearing protectors are needed, the employer must offer at least one type of earplug and one type of earmuff without cost to employees.
• Snoring husbands are the number 67th cause of divorce in Wisconsin.
• Sassy’s Favorites: DeWalt Interceptor Ear Muff (light weight, foldable & inexpensive without being cheap); Radians Maximus Electronic Earmuffs (if you want to spoil yourself); Elvex Uni-Fit Foam Ear Plugs.

Resource:  American Academy of Otolaryngology

Technorati Tags: ear protection, earmuffs, hearing protection

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