The Benefits of Wearing Ear Plugs As a Noise Protection Device

The Benefits of Wearing Ear Plugs As a Noise Protection Device Image

It was a normal working day on the set of Star Trek, the TV series, an action sequence was to be taped. William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk and Leonard Nimoy, who played the Vulcan mr. Spock, both were supposed to be featured. during the filming of the scene an explosion went off much too soon, while the two actors were still close to that location. The actors seemed unharmed, but their ears did hurt a bit. They both did not know that they have contracted tinnitus right then and there. Both actors are still suffering from the condition to this very day, because they did not wear ear plugs. It is not uncommon that musicians, who are playing live on stages, also damage their hearing even beyond the state of tinnitus, if they don't employ some kind of noise protection. Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Gary Glitter, James Hetfield from the band Metallica, Huey Lewis, Moby and Pete Townshend are just a few people who got ill from too loud music and have damaged their hearing permanently.

What would be the benefits of wearing ear plugs as a noise protection device, besides the prevention from tinnitus? well, most people working in live sound reinforcement are wearing such protective devices in order to keep their hearing functioning. a sound designer loses his bread and butter if the hearing is damaged, even if some frequencies are heard worse, the adequate perception is gone and the sound designer cannot perform adequately.

In high noise environments, like in noisy factories, demolition and road work where loud machines are being employed, the provision of ear plugs as noise protection through the employer are mandatory. Continuous noise that surpasses 70 dB in loudness can already damage the hearing and many young people who are blasting their ears off with their iPods and headphones have no idea that this damage is irreversible. The machos with their ear shattering stereo blasters installed in their cars are no better off.

The Latin word "noxia" explains a lot in translation, since that this is the word that coined our word "noise", it means hurt or injury. The urban noise pollution is everywhere, the need for noise protection imminent. in your home the computer fans are whirring, the TV is playing, perhaps some music is playing, the refrigerator is humming and buzzing, the washer or dryer, perhaps the dishwasher is groaning, people speak and the electricity in the walls is humming. this with the electricity you can't even perceive, unless the whole block loses power for some reason, in such cases the quiet is scary. There is more, perhaps your air conditioning is working, the street outside your window is not empty, people talk, cars drive, motors roar, the further you glance the more noise is there. a home is being remodeled in the building, the whir of the hammer drill is perceivable, wind is blowing or rain is falling, birds chirp somewhere. It is a constant cacophony all around. sometimes just to hear somebody talking, that someone needs to raise the voice considerably. The need to silence everything can be overwhelming and in such cases nothing can help but a pair of ear plugs.

The Benefits of Wearing Ear Plugs As a Noise Protection Device