# Ear Protection ?



## ShaneLogs (Feb 18, 2012)

Good idea ? What does everyone use ? I use the little ear plugs that u turn with your fingers so they fit in your ears and then they expand back out to block out any noise and they also have the sting in the middle so I can where them around my neck when i'm not cutting.


----------



## madhatte (Feb 18, 2012)

I mostly wear the triple flange ones. Comfy, good dB attenuation, cheap to replace when I lose 'em. I wear muffs on occasion but I just don't like 'em as well.


----------



## purdyite (Feb 18, 2012)

I wear plugs AND muffs--also use the ones with connecting cord, but I cut the cord off and leave about 1/2 inch on the plug, sort of a little stem to remove them easily. Doesn't tickle the back of my neck that way. Dad is very hard of hearing, I want to protect what I have left. It's getting hard to have a conversation with him. Good on you for wearing them.


----------



## Billy_Bob (Feb 19, 2012)

I have those combo orange hard hat / ear muffs / face shields. I can flip up the face shield or ear muffs and they follow me around. (Sold at chainsaw shops.)

As for good idea? Well I went to talk to a guy using an air nail gun (very loud) and he was not wearing ear protection. He saw me walk up and stopped working...

I asked him a question from about 5 feet away and he said "What?" (There was no other noise.)
I got closer and asked again. He said "What?"
I finally shouted, then he heard my question!

Anyway that guy apparently made a habit of using loud construction equipment without hearing protection.

I think it is a good idea to wear hearing protection!


----------



## forestryworks (Feb 19, 2012)

Hearing don't come back once you lose it. Not even with hearing aids.

Ear plugs for me. 

Muffs are more convenient for quick removal (yanking plugs out can damange your ear drum). But muffs are too damn hot here.


----------



## Gologit (Feb 19, 2012)

forestryworks said:


> Hearing don't come back once you lose it. Not even with hearing aids.



Yup. I finally gave up and went to an audiologist earlier in the week. It was a rather ugly experience. I knew I'd lost some hearing over the years but I wasn't aware of how much. It was a bunch.

A good set of hearing aids, not dime-store junk but digital quality, costs about 2500 bucks. Per ear. 

My first clue that I'd lost a lot of hearing was listening to music that I've listened to for years and having it sound weird. I couldn't hear the high notes. I'd been automatically adjusting to the decrease in my hearing for so long that I wasn't really aware of how bad it had become.

So...I won't preach, people will do what they want to do. But if they want to hear their grandchildren singing they might want to think about hearing protection.


----------



## 2dogs (Feb 19, 2012)

I wear Da Plugs that I buy by the box from Bailey's. If I am cutting firewood or helping mill I have a Stihl hardhat with muffs that I wear in addition to plugs. I am going to order the new plugs that attach to the inside of my hardhat. I forget the name but it is something like Zip Plugs or Zipper Plugs.


----------



## Rounder (Feb 19, 2012)

ShaneLogs said:


> Good idea ? What does everyone use ? I use the little ear plugs that u turn with your fingers so they fit in your ears and then they expand back out to block out any noise and they also have the sting in the middle so I can where them around my neck when i'm not cutting.



Good idea.....Yes. Mine stay in for the full 7 hours. I don't want to hear any ####. Orange ones 
3M makes work well for me, but everyone's ears are different.


----------



## forestryworks (Feb 19, 2012)

Gologit said:


> Yup. I finally gave up and went to an audiologist earlier in the week. It was a rather ugly experience. I knew I'd lost some hearing over the years but I wasn't aware of how much. It was a bunch.
> 
> A good set of hearing aids, not dime-store junk but digital quality, costs about 2500 bucks. Per ear.
> 
> ...



I was born with hearing loss. Nerve damage in the ear. Can't hear the high stuff or really low stuff.

Good quality hearing aids ain't cheap, I feel your pain. Some days I don't wear them, I like the peace and quiet :hmm3grin2orange:

Check with your Department of Rehabilitative Services and see if they offer any financial assistance.


----------



## paccity (Feb 19, 2012)

gear protection? what do i need that for.


----------



## forestryworks (Feb 19, 2012)

2dogs said:


> I wear Da Plugs that I buy by the box from Bailey's. If I am cutting firewood or helping mill I have a Stihl hardhat with muffs that I wear in addition to plugs. I am going to order the new plugs that attach to the inside of my hardhat. I forget the name but it is something like Zip Plugs or Zipper Plugs.



I saw those in The Supply Cache catalog, I think.


----------



## TreePointer (Feb 19, 2012)

I often wear foam earplugs under the earmuffs of a forestry helmet.


----------



## 2dogs (Feb 19, 2012)

forestryworks said:


> I saw those in The Supply Cache catalog, I think.



Same hear. Get it?


----------



## Slamm (Feb 19, 2012)

I wear ear muffs that come on the Peltor, Stihl or Rockman forestry helmets or I wear the radio muffs when cutting firewood in a yard or something relatively safe.

That said, I find that when heavy equipment is around or I need to hear where my guys are at or something else is going on I like the speed and therefore the "safety" of being able to quickly remove the muff and hear everything and then quickly replace the muff for when the noise starts again, without the time delay of waiting to squish some little foam thing with either my dirty bare hands or my gloved hand.

I worked with a guy that wore foam ear plugs and I always wanted to add up the minutes he spent taking ear plugs in and out, loosing them, finding them, going to get another pair, buying them, unwrapping them, cutting strings, tell me to hold on while he put his plugs in and so forth, in a days time, not to mention the incredible gross-ness of what his foam earplugs looked like after about mid morning, LOL.

To those that wear both plugs and muffs, I just attended a forestry class where two examples were provided of that setup likely causing or contributing to death. In both cases fellow workers were yelling at the guys wearing both to move or run and they could not hear them. One or the other will provide enough protection to prevent hearing loss, without causing you to not hear anything, no need to double up on it.

Sam


----------



## purdyite (Feb 19, 2012)

I think NIOSH (National Institue of Safety and Health) has some formulas for de-rating the noise-reduction rating of hearing protection equipment. We have talked at work about subtracting 7 then divide by 2 to get the practical limit allowing for poor fit, louder noise, etc. our goal is limit noise to 85 or less dB.

Using plugs and muffs, it doesn't make me stone deaf--I can still hear, and I can even hear voices and other sharp noises better with the plugs in, because they damp out the constant background noise. I don't think I'm any worse off for wearing both. But, my hearing is still good according to our annual tests.


----------



## Samlock (Feb 19, 2012)

forestryworks said:


> Hearing don't come back once you lose it. Not even with hearing aids.
> 
> Ear plugs for me.
> 
> Muffs are more convenient for quick removal (yanking plugs out can damange your ear drum). But muffs are too damn hot here.



Of ear muffs and drums:

Couple of years ago I took a good hit on the left ear muff - the shock wave broke my ear drum. No big deal, everything just sounded bizarre for a month and the sweat in the left ear made me sometimes a bit dizzy. As the ear drum recovered, after few months, I took a hearing test, required by the insurance company. Well, it appeared both my ears had equal hearing ability. And what was remarkable, the lady who ran the test said, she accidentally took the readings below the hearing range, negative db. The figures showed I have an extra extra sensitive hearing. Ok, my wife found the document of my hearing and totally lost it. She'd thought I damaged my hearing ability running the power tools and shooting all my life, and that's why I'm not able to hear what she says!


----------



## forestryworks (Feb 19, 2012)

Slamm said:


> To those that wear both plugs and muffs, I just attended a forestry class where two examples were provided of that setup likely causing or contributing to death. In both cases fellow workers were yelling at the guys wearing both to move or run and they could not hear them. One or the other will provide enough protection to prevent hearing loss, without causing you to not hear anything, no need to double up on it.
> 
> Sam



I agree with that, Sam.

When I first started cutting, I wore the Peltor thingmaboob. But after a while, I got tired of looking like a space cowboy :hmm3grin2orange:

They are convenient though, like you said, quick removals.


----------



## slowp (Feb 19, 2012)

They aren't just for fallers. I suspect my hearing is not so good because I couldn't hear well enough with earplugs in while having to have discussions on the landing. The yarders are noisy. Add the whistle going off and sore ears can result. I tried to talk to folks away from the equipment, but sometimes that can't be done. 

One time, they'd stopped yarding, but there was a "discussion" going on about what was correct to blow for raising the skyline. I was waiting to discuss the day's inspection and was standing by the yarder, when one of the guys yellied, "THIS IS RAISE THE SKYLINE" and proceeded to set off the whistle for a demonstration, right there. The other guy disagreed, and his version was played out--repeat. My ears rang for a while after that commotion. I suggested that they might want to make a cheat sheet and paste it in their hardhats, rather than having a whistle fest on the landing. :msp_mad: 

When there were a lot of us sitting in the audience at the annual required to attend trainings, and the speaker could not be heard, somebody would yell, USE YOUR LANDING VOICE.


----------



## Joe46 (Feb 19, 2012)

When I started shooting as a young lad the best you could do was toilet paper rolled up and stuffed in your ears. In the Navy on a Destroyer during Nam there was no such thing except for the gunners mates. During GQ I was a first loader on a 3" 50 gun mount. The mount capt ( a GM) wore head phones which offered some protection. When I started falling I was taught you needed to hear what the tree was doing, so no ear protection. I guess I'm really fortunate that I can still hear OK. Now I don't even start up a circular saw without ear plugs .


----------



## Gologit (Feb 19, 2012)

Yup...wearing any kind of hearing protection was considered "sissy".


----------



## Oldtimer (Feb 19, 2012)

purdyite said:


> I wear plugs AND muffs--also use the ones with connecting cord, but I cut the cord off and leave about 1/2 inch on the plug, sort of a little stem to remove them easily. Doesn't tickle the back of my neck that way. Dad is very hard of hearing, I want to protect what I have left. It's getting hard to have a conversation with him. Good on you for wearing them.



I too wear both. In the skidder or just running a saw. 
I wear ear plugs when I ride my (brother's!) motorcycle, when I groom the snowmobile trails in the Tucker Terra, and when I ride a snowmobile. Oh, and when mowing the lawn.
I have fairly "loud" tinnitus in the right ear, and a little touch of it in the left too. I broke my right ear drum when I was 13, so that doesn't help- I am partially deaf in the right ear because of that.
Not willing to lose any more by being careless.
Anyone who does blow off hearing protection when around loud stuff is a fool.


----------



## Oldtimer (Feb 19, 2012)

One more thing:

The "muffs" on a helmet will save you from getting your bell rung in the skidder / dozer / backhoe..I know that in the skidder I have smashed my head off the side of the ROPS hundreds of times..and the ear muff saved me a LOT of pain, and maybe even saved my life..
One time I was in a hurry, pushing the logs to the truck on the landing...no helmet.
I drove over a button, and when the rear tire came off it- WHAM! 
I saw white, almost passed out..and if I had I would probably have fallen out and the skidder would have run me right over..my head hurt for months after.


----------



## Slamm (Feb 19, 2012)

Oldtimer said:


> One more thing:
> 
> The "muffs" on a helmet will save you from getting your bell rung in the skidder / dozer / backhoe..I know that in the skidder I have smashed my head off the side of the ROPS hundreds of times..and the ear muff saved me a LOT of pain, and maybe even saved my life..
> One time I was in a hurry, pushing the logs to the truck on the landing...no helmet.
> ...



I second that about the muffs in the skidders. I have been knocked out several times from other endeavors, and once I came darn close in a skidder when one tire dropped off into a hole, the B pillar on the right about knocked me out of the left hand doorway. If I wouldn't have had earmuffs on to ease the blow, I'm sure I would have been knocked out and driven over, possibly a painless way to go, LOL.

Its smart to just wear the whole helmet and earmuffs in the skidders.

Sam


----------



## Mike Griffin (Feb 22, 2012)

Joe46 said:


> When I started shooting as a young lad the best you could do was toilet paper rolled up and stuffed in your ears. In the Navy on a Destroyer during Nam there was no such thing except for the gunners mates. During GQ I was a first loader on a 3" 50 gun mount. The mount capt ( a GM) wore head phones which offered some protection. When I started falling I was taught you needed to hear what the tree was doing, so no ear protection. I guess I'm really fortunate that I can still hear OK. Now I don't even start up a circular saw without ear plugs .


Did you ever sign up for Veterans medical benefits? I go every year for a physical. This year I told my doctor I was loosing my hearing and he set me up with a hearing test at the V. A. hospital. I went and the doctor there told me my hearing was borderline needing hearing aids. He said discuss it with my family and if I wanted a pair I was eligible at no cost. I was in the Army in Nam but I am sure the Navy would get the same benefit especially the job you had.


----------



## H 2 H (Feb 22, 2012)

Working in a machine shop for twenty plus years then working on or around sprint cars 10 plus years = what you say 

I would have ear plugs made to form to my ears and it still didn't help I have lost hearing in my right ear


----------



## logbutcher (Feb 22, 2012)

Gologit said:


> Yup...wearing any kind of hearing protection was considered "sissy".



:waaaht:


----------



## dancan (Feb 22, 2012)

I'm another of those that double up on the hearing protection .


----------



## Joe46 (Feb 22, 2012)

Mike Griffin said:


> Did you ever sign up for Veterans medical benefits? I go every year for a physical. This year I told my doctor I was loosing my hearing and he set me up with a hearing test at the V. A. hospital. I went and the doctor there told me my hearing was borderline needing hearing aids. He said discuss it with my family and if I wanted a pair I was eligible at no cost. I was in the Army in Nam but I am sure the Navy would get the same benefit especially the job you had.



Somewhere i have a VA file number. Had back surgery at the VA hospital in Long Beach, Ca. several decades ago. My real job on the TinCan was a boilerman. It was noisey in the fireroom also:msp_smile:


----------



## floyd (Feb 24, 2012)

Huh? Real men don't wear ear protection. You know them. Those old cat skinners that are always yelling because they can't hear a damn thing.

40 yrs now running a saw. Not everyday. 15" worth I may just shine it on & run low rpm on firewood or something.

Then there's times I wear plugs to mow the grass.

I can still hear the highs & lows when I turn it up.

One of these years I'm going to string some wire across the draw & hook some speakers up. Then I'm going to TURN IT UP!
yup, one of these days.


----------



## bitzer (Feb 24, 2012)

The corded ear plugs from 3M. I wrap the cord around the suspension in my hard hat which makes it easy to pop them out and not lose them. Radio head phones in the skidder cause I like some tunes when I'm tired and loading.

Now for the eyes- I've worn nothing for a long time until twice in the last week I got chunks of wood in the right eye. First time my eye bled and I could see red for a few minutes. Had to take a pic of myself just so I could see the damage. Only 4th tree of the morning and I was pist. Busting out the face. I closed that eye and let the tree loose and sat on the stump for a little while. Second time choppin out my saw from a small branch that had more tension on it then I realized. Chunk hit me square like a damn baseball. Just bruised er up good this time. I may look like a super dork, but I'm getting some bugz goggles on order. I've tried all manner of glasses and don't like them. And no I will not be getting a forestry screen/muff/hat combo ever.


----------



## dhskier2 (Feb 26, 2012)

2dogs said:


> I am going to order the new plugs that attach to the inside of my hardhat. I forget the name but it is something like Zip Plugs or Zipper Plugs.



Hadn't seen these before... slick stuff!!

PlugsSafety.com

[video=youtube;1kKMFvTeiT0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1kKMFvTeiT0[/video]


----------



## Fuzly (Feb 26, 2012)

I tried a few low cost options, and then bought some better quality stuff when I figured out what I liked. Whatever you choose, good on ya for using them.

I know so many guys who worked hard all their lives who walk around hollering "Huh?" 20 times a day.


----------



## Sheldon Cooper (Feb 26, 2012)

Gologit said:


> Yup. I finally gave up and went to an audiologist earlier in the week. It was a rather ugly experience. I knew I'd lost some hearing over the years but I wasn't aware of how much. It was a bunch.
> 
> A good set of hearing aids, not dime-store junk but digital quality, costs about 2500 bucks. Per ear.
> 
> ...



Only 2500 an ear. Good ones round here can set you back 5 grand per ear.:bang:


----------



## Spotted Owl (Feb 28, 2012)

Didn't read all of this but... A custom molded set of plugs around here runs about 60 to 80 buck. If you have any trouble with the standard everywhere plugs try out some of the custom jobs. They are worth their weight in gold. Some have filters like mine that I can talk and hear people but the saw and anything big is squelched out to almost nothing. 

Nothing like loosing you hearing. Nobody to blame but you and your stubbornness. You don't get it back no matter who says what or what they try to do for you, just like lots o body parts you only get one chance and then your screwed for life for the most part other than treating the symptoms.

Plug'em or cover'em.



Owl


----------



## derwoodii (Feb 28, 2012)

These I like, easy fit always with you work ok for industry saw work non sweat and good for shootin too 

Howard Leight | QB3HYG Banded Earplugs


----------



## derwoodii (Feb 28, 2012)

dhskier2 said:


> Hadn't seen these before... slick stuff!!
> 
> PlugsSafety.com
> 
> [video=youtube;1kKMFvTeiT0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1kKMFvTeiT0[/video]



Hmm interesting idea maybe for some perhaps not me, I see down sides but always good to have new options .


Tis shame he saves his ears yet care less for his legs oh well its sales vid not real world.


----------



## H 2 H (Feb 28, 2012)

Spotted Owl said:


> Didn't read all of this but... A custom molded set of plugs around here runs about 60 to 80 buck. If you have any trouble with the standard everywhere plugs try out some of the custom jobs. They are worth their weight in gold. Some have filters like mine that I can talk and hear people but the saw and anything big is squelched out to almost nothing.
> 
> Nothing like loosing you hearing. Nobody to blame but you and your stubbornness. You don't get it back no matter who says what or what they try to do for you, just like lots o body parts you only get one chance and then your screwed for life for the most part other than treating the symptoms.
> 
> ...



This what I had for over thirty years; the machine shop covered the cost of them and when I left there and then when I worked on and around sprint cars I keeped getting them and wearing them the filtered ones

Working in a screw machine shop (with 47 B&S screw machine in it) the first 15 years sure missed up my hearing; when they tested the noise in the shop it was lound like the jets next door in Everett Washington at some small jet airplane shop

But I still have a hearing lose


----------

