Centennial, CO — The National Hearing Conservation Association’s new guide on fit testing hearing protection explains the importance of fit tests and features step-by-step instructions for successfully performing them.
“It can be difficult to know if the hearing protector being worn is reducing the noise level enough such that a worker’s hearing is being adequately protected,” the association says. “Hearing protector fit testing is a procedure used to measure the amount of noise reduction provided by a specific hearing protector on an individual worker.
“Fit testing is a quantitative way to make sure the individual fit of the hearing protector will protect the wearer. It is also a powerful tool for training, which is critical for hearing protectors to be worn correctly.”
Instead of focusing on noise reduction rating, NHCA advocates for the use of a personal attenuation rating – “a single number (in decibels) generated by a hearing protector fit-test system” that “indicates how much a hearing protector reduces, or attenuates, the sound that reaches the ear.”
The guide adds that “even if a hearing protection device is determined to be ‘suitable’ based on the NRR, it may not be a good fit for a particular individual.”
