IRSST - Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail

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December 22, 2024

Study of sound transmission through hearing protectors and application of a method for evaluating their efficiency in the workplace

Abstract

The method for evaluating the noise attenuation characteristics of hearing protectors is based on laboratory tests. However, many studies have shown that the actual effectiveness of this protective equipment is, more often than not, much lower than the results thus obtained. The authors examined the time evolution of the performance of this equipment during one work shift, with 24 workers, in different sound environments. This mainly enabled them to develop a method for measuring the real effectiveness of earmuffs and moulded ear plugs, and then to compare it to measurements taken in the laboratory.

The results obtained are consistent with what is found in the literature on this subject, with the protection values lower than those documented by the manufacturers (measured in the laboratory); for a given worker, the protection varies significantly in relation to the time during a work shift; the protection can vary greatly from one worker to the next but also from one ear to the other for a given worker. The developed attenuation index shows a high dependence on the frequency content of the ambient noise, thus highlighting the inadequacy of some hearing protectors at low frequencies and the importance of properly knowing the ambient noise so that a judicious choice of hearing protectors can be made. The project also demonstrated the potential of the developed method. Scenarios for improving it, and for making it more complete and accessible to a greater audience are presented at the end of the report.

Produced Under this Project

  • Finite element modeling for evaluating the sound attenuation of hearing protectors

    Franck Sgard, Hugues Nélisse, Laville F., Voix J., Boutin J., Gaudreau M.-A.

    Source :

    in EuroNoise 2009, (8th : October 26-28, 2009 : Edinburgh, Écosse), 2009, 9 p

  • Real world HPD attenuation: a new field measurement method using f-mire and time signals (Poster)

    Gaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Voix J., Hugues Nélisse, Boutin J.

    Source :

    in NHCA 2009 : 34th Annual Hearing Conservation Conference : Conserve to Hear the Future, (34th : February 12-14, 2009 : Atlanta, USA), 2009

  • Measurement of effective hearing protection device attenuation during a workshift in industrial plants

    Hugues Nélisse, Gaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Boutin J., Voix J.

    Source :

    in InterNoise 2009 : Innovations in Practical Noise Control, (38th : August 23-26, 2009 : Ottawa, Canada), 2009

  • L'atténuation effective des protecteurs auditifs au cours d'une journée de travail

    Gaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Hugues Nélisse, Voix J., Boutin J.

    Source :

    in 2e congrès international sur l'ingénierie des risques industriels / CIRI 2009 (2e : 13-15 mai 2009 : Reims, France), 2009

  • Prediction of the vibroacoustic response of earmuffs using a coupled finite element/BEM approach

    Franck Sgard, Amichi K., Boutin J., Hugues Nélisse, Gaudreau M.-A.

    Source :

    in International Congress on Sound and Vibration / ICSV (17th : July 18-22, 2010 : Cairo, Egypt), 2010, 8 p

  • Measurement of hearing protection devices performance in the workplace during full-shift working operations

    Hugues Nélisse, Gaudreau M.-A., Boutin J., Voix J., Laville F.

    Source :

    Annals of Occupational Hygiene, vol. 56, no 2, 2012, p. 221-232

  • Méthode de mesures terrain de l'atténuation f-mire de protecteurs auditifs durant un quart de travail

    Gaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Hugues Nélisse, Voix J.

    Source :

    Journal de l'Association canadienne d'acoustique, vol. 36, no 2, 2008, p.3-10

  • État de l'art et perspectives sur la mesures des performances effectives des protecteurs auditifs en milieu de travail

    Gaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Voix J., Hugues Nélisse

    Source :

    Revue internationale sur l'ingénierie des risques industriels, vol. 1, no 1, 2008, p. 65-85

  • Measurements of noise exposure during wildfire air firefighting operations

    Hugues Nélisse, Boutin J., Gendron M., Leroux T.

    Source :

    in Annual Conference of the Canadian Acoustical Association (October 13-15, 2010 : Victoria, Canada), 2010

  • Variability of hearing protection devices attenuation as a function of source location

    Hugues Nélisse, Gaudreau M.-A., Voix J., Boutin J., Laville F.

    Source :

    in Acoustics' 08 Paris : Conférence commune américano-européenne en acoustique (2e : 29 juin-4 juillet, 2008 : Paris, France), 2008

  • État de l'art et perspectives sur la mesure des performances effectives des protecteurs auditifs en milieu de travail

    Gaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Voix J., Hugues Nélisse

    Source :

    in Premier congrès international sur l'ingénierie des risques industriels / CIRI 2007 (1er : 17-19 décembre, 2007 : Montréal, Canada), 2007

  • Variabilité de l'atténuation des protecteurs auditifs mesurée par la méthode field-mire en fonction de la direction du son incident et des bruits du porteur

    Gaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Voix J., Hugues Nélisse

    Source :

    in 2007 CAA : Conférence annuelle de l'Association canadienne d'acoustique, (9-12 octobre, 2007 : Montréal, Canada), 2007

  • A preliminary study on the measurement of effective hearing protection device attenuation during a work shift

    Hugues Nélisse, Gaudreau M.-A., Boutin J., Voix J., Laville F.

    Source :

    in Noise at work : First European Forum on Effective Solutions for Managing Occupational Noise Risks, (1st : July 3-5, 2007 : Lille, France), 2007

Additional Information

Type: Project
Number: 0099-4940
Status: Completed
Year of completion: 2010
Team: