Safety Ear Muffs - C0008
General Characteristics
What Are Ear Muffs:
Earmuffs can be used in the workplace or recreation for loud activities, e.g., concerts, shooting firearms, heavy machinery, mowing, etc. Hearing protection in the work place is regulated by organizations such asOccupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA),Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA), and theNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH). Hearing protection can be included inhearing conservation programsif noise exceeds a certain criteria. OSHA recommends the use of hearing protection devices (HPD) when an employer is exposed to an average noise intensity of 85 dBA over an 8-hour shift. HPD is required when exposed to average noise intensity of 90 dBA or greater over an 8-hour shift.MSHA requirements are similar to OSHA. OSHA and MSHA require the use of hearing protection for workers who have not had a baseline hearing test or have had a shift in hearing thresholds, called a standard threshold shift.Tabulated below are the standards for the maximum daily exposure times at various noise levels
Level of noise (dB A)Maximum daily exposure time858 hours912 hours9730 minutes1037 minutes
