Practical MIG Welding: Hearing Protection
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Hearing Protection
02.48
| 00:00 | Our hearing is just as important as our sight and while you might think that welding wouldn't require hearing protection, you'd be surprised at the noise level emitted by the process. |
| 00:09 | Industry standards say that 85 decibels is the point where we need to have hearing protection fitted. |
| 00:14 | If this noise level goes over 100 decibels, then we put ourselves in real danger of permanent damage to our hearing later in life. |
| 00:21 | A good example of what creates 85 decibels is a cordless angle grinder switching on. |
| 00:28 | Once grinding and cutting, the noise level can easily reach 110 decibels. |
| 00:35 | Surprisingly, certain settings within welding can also reach 85 decibels. |
| 00:39 | For example, MIG welding can emit a loud crackling sound and depending on the weld position, can often be amplified by the surfaces that we're welding. |
| 00:47 | This can easily peak over 85 decibels. |
| 00:51 | And combined with the close proximity to our ears, multiplied by the time we are spending on the weld, this can make hearing protection a must have. |
| 01:00 | Hearing damage is cumulative and will happen over time. |
| 01:03 | There are no immediate signs that we've sustained damage either so it's better to just play it safe and wear hearing protection whenever we're operating noisy machinery. |
| 01:12 | The two most common types of protection are earplugs and ear muffs, also known as ear buds and ear defenders respectively. |
| 01:19 | Earplugs are little soft plugs that you insert into your ears and if effectively positioned, can reduce noise by over 25 decibels. |
| 01:27 | The most effective ear buds are custom made to suit your outer ear canal and secured with a headband. |
| 01:32 | These are sufficient for the majority of noise emitted from welding and they're also comfortable and work well within the confines of our welding mask. |
| 01:41 | Earmuffs have a similar effect, but are placed over the ears. |
| 01:44 | These are available in a number of different ratings and should lower our exposure to noise by over 30 decibels. |
| 01:49 | If we work in a communal workshop, it may be a good idea to have the ear buds in your ears at all times and then double those up with your earmuffs when cutting, grinding or hammering. |
| 01:58 | By using ear buds when welding and then adding earmuffs when your mask is removed, we can reduce or completely eliminate the damage that we're going to do to our hearing if we were to go without them. |
| 02:08 | By having multiple styles of ear protection placed in different areas around the workshop, you're going to find it much easier to quickly fit the protection and reduce the risks of going without. |
| 02:18 | So, to quickly summarise this module, welding generates surprisingly high noise levels and this can lead to permanent hearing damage. |
| 02:26 | MIG welding can easily reach the 85 decibel threshold and extended exposure can be harmful. |
| 02:32 | Ear buds can reduce noise by over 25 decibels while earmuffs can lower exposure by over 30. |
| 02:37 | Using a combination of ear buds and earmuffs during welding tasks can effectively prevent hearing damage. |
