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Mine Type: All Mines Category:   Personal Protective Equipment
Mine Safety and Health Administration
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Health Ideas

"Wear Your Personal Hearing Protection, and Keep it Clean!"

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In addition to the use of engineering and administrative controls to reduce noise exposures to permissible levels, personal hearing protection is used to supplement these measures. In fact, for a few occupations (like jackleg drill operators) hearing protectors may be your only means of protection. The following tips are for the use of personal hearing protection in the mining industry.

There are three main types of personal hearing protection:
  • Ear plugs
  • Ear muffs
  • Canal caps
    		 Hearing Protection
    • Carefully select hearing protection that is sufficient for the noise exposure. Contact your Health & Safety Coordinator or Industrial Hygienist for assistance.
    • Be sure you are trained to use and maintain the selected personal hearing protection.
    • Wear hearing protection when in high sound levels.
    • Clean re-usable hearing protection in as specified by the manufacturer.
    • Insert earplugs or wear earmuffs and canal caps as specified by the manufacturer.
    • Always inspect your hearing protection before each use. Alert your supervisor if you find a crack, puncture, tear, leak, or unusual condition.
    • Maintain seals on earmuffs.


    Issued: 03/20/2003
    Tag # AP2002-H0019


    If you have a tip you would like to pass on, you can e-mail it to MinersTips@msha.gov. If your tip is selected, you will receive credit in this space.



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