When is double hearing protection required?

When is double hearing protection required?

• A. When noise levels exceed 85 dB
• B. When noise levels exceed 104 dB
• C. When noise levels exceed 75 dB
• D. When noise levels exceed 60 dB

Answer: (B)

Double protection is required for the loudest exposures because a single hearing protection device may not reduce the sound enough to protect your hearing. When noise levels reach around 104 dB, wearing both earplugs and earmuffs provides the extra attenuation necessary to bring the effective sound reaching the eardrum down to a safer level. In practice, the combination takes advantage of the higher total attenuation you can achieve by using two devices, though the exact amount depends on fit and the specific devices. Lower thresholds are general guidelines for wearing protection, but the explicit need for double protection is tied to very high noise levels like those around 104 dB and above.

Double protection is required for the loudest exposures because a single hearing protection device may not reduce the sound enough to protect your hearing. When noise levels reach around 104 dB, wearing both earplugs and earmuffs provides the extra attenuation necessary to bring the effective sound reaching the eardrum down to a safer level. In practice, the combination takes advantage of the higher total attenuation you can achieve by using two devices, though the exact amount depends on fit and the specific devices. Lower thresholds are general guidelines for wearing protection, but the explicit need for double protection is tied to very high noise levels like those around 104 dB and above.