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 Scientific Reports Study of sound transmission through hearing protectors and application of a method for evaluating their efficiency in the workplace Research Report: R-662Study of sound transmission through hearing protectors and application of a method for evaluating their efficiency in the workplace Research Report: R-680 Video Reports and Conferences Study of sound transmission through hearing protectors and application of a method for evaluating their efficiency in the workplace (part 1) Conference: CF-020Study of sound transmission through hearing protectors and application of a method for evaluating their efficiency in the workplace (part 2) Conference: CF-021 Simplified Articles Choisir ses protecteurs auditifsSuivons le guide Volume 24, n0 3Pour déterminer la résistance des gants aux piqûres d'aiguillesUne nouvelle méthode d'essai Volume 25, n0 3 Scientific Publications Finite element modeling for evaluating the sound attenuation of hearing protectorsFranck 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 pReal 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), 2009Measurement of effective hearing protection device attenuation during a workshift in industrial plantsHugues 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), 2009L'atténuation effective des protecteurs auditifs au cours d'une journée de travailGaudreau 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), 2009Prediction of the vibroacoustic response of earmuffs using a coupled finite element/BEM approachFranck 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 pMeasurement of hearing protection devices performance in the workplace during full-shift working operationsHugues Nélisse, Gaudreau M.-A., Boutin J., Voix J., Laville F.Source : Annals of Occupational Hygiene, vol. 56, no 2, 2012, p. 221-232Méthode de mesures terrain de l'atténuation f-mire de protecteurs auditifs durant un quart de travailGaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Hugues Nélisse, Voix J.Source : Journal de l'Association canadienne d'acoustique, vol. 36, no 2, 2008, p.3-10État de l'art et perspectives sur la mesures des performances effectives des protecteurs auditifs en milieu de travailGaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Voix J., Hugues NélisseSource : Revue internationale sur l'ingénierie des risques industriels, vol. 1, no 1, 2008, p. 65-85Measurements of noise exposure during wildfire air firefighting operationsHugues Nélisse, Boutin J., Gendron M., Leroux T.Source : in Annual Conference of the Canadian Acoustical Association (October 13-15, 2010 : Victoria, Canada), 2010Variability of hearing protection devices attenuation as a function of source locationHugues 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), 2008État de l'art et perspectives sur la mesure des performances effectives des protecteurs auditifs en milieu de travailGaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Voix J., Hugues NélisseSource : in Premier congrès international sur l'ingénierie des risques industriels / CIRI 2007 (1er : 17-19 décembre, 2007 : Montréal, Canada), 2007Variabilité de l'atténuation des protecteurs auditifs mesurée par la méthode field-mire en fonction de la direction du son incident et des bruits du porteurGaudreau M.-A., Laville F., Voix J., Hugues NélisseSource : in 2007 CAA : Conférence annuelle de l'Association canadienne d'acoustique, (9-12 octobre, 2007 : Montréal, Canada), 2007A preliminary study on the measurement of effective hearing protection device attenuation during a work shiftHugues 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 Other Project(s) You May be Interested in Development of a method for measuring effective intra-aural noise exposure for use in the workplace Additional Information Type: Project Number: 0099-4940 Status: Completed Year of completion: 2010 Research Field: Mechanical and Physical Risk Prevention Team: Hugues Nélisse (IRSST)Frédéric Laville (École de technologie supérieure)Azzeddine Soulaïmani (École de technologie supérieure)Jérémie Voix (École de technologie supérieure)Franck Sgard (IRSST)Pierre Marcotte (IRSST)Jérôme Boutin (IRSST)Riyad Kechroud (École de technologie supérieure)