I like music, I like my hearing, I like my health.
Unfortunately, the engine room is trying to rob me of that.
I am semi-price conscious, but when it comes to health, I would rather pay double.
What ear protection have you used during your career? Which ear protection is the most effective?
I have a pair I purchased at a sporting goods store a few years back, Remington brand, designed for shooters. Best ever, I can hardly hear someone speak right next to me. If I want music I slip some earbuds underneath.
I prefer the disposable plugs. Nothing worse than that pool of sweat where the earmuffs are against your head. Or when they get ripped off crawling/looking around.
Earmuffs are worth it if you get ear infections easy. Not an issue for me if I just wash my hands and put in fresh plugs during the day.
[QUOTE=farmerfalconer;183119]I have a pair I purchased at a sporting goods store a few years back, Remington brand, designed for shooters. Best ever, I can hardly hear someone speak right next to me. If I want music I slip some earbuds underneath.[/QUOTE]
I agree, just go to a place that sells guns and buy some nice ear covers that are rated to protect your ears from a gunshot 12 inches away from them. I have some and they are super nice weren’t more than $60. I even wear them on my flights home and they block everything out so I can sleep, it also helps my ears with the pressure changes during flight!
I’ve had some of the Chiefs wear both soft buds and the over ear muffs depending on what the situation is. Deckhands too when they’re chipping.
If you use the earmuff style, watch the construction. The ones that adjust by sliding on two metal rods never last. Bilsom makes a quality pair that last well.
What? Can you speak up?
Dont worry about it. After a while your ears get tough and the engines dont seem as loud as well as everything else.
Yes, that way you can always have the TV on full volume whether or not anyone is in the galley or not.
Good engineers have selective hearing though. The word “crewchange” can be heard when nothing else is.
I like my ears soft and weak, like my hands.
[QUOTE=z-drive;183132]Yes, that way you can always have the TV on full volume whether or not anyone is in the galley or not.
Good engineers have selective hearing though. The word “crewchange” can be heard when nothing else is.[/QUOTE]
What? Time to pack?
I dunno how effective they are in comparison to others but I really love the Howard Leight behind-the-head type earmuffs. So comfortable and convenient. Dont interfere with hardhat or ball cap. I wear them constantly
Don’t you get PPE supplied by the company?
My friend has 3m active Peltor headsets with bluetooth that he uses to jam out on and chats on cell phone all while in LOUD PLACES with LOUD NOISES! He also hearts lamp.
I also have the Howard Leight versions of the same set. They are too nice to bring on board ship, IMO. But I also love lamp.
I find company supplied PPE is usually cheapest available and I prefer to use my own, quality equipment that doesn’t have the guy I replaced’s grease and sweat all over it…
[QUOTE=Slick Cam;183144]I find company supplied PPE is usually cheapest available and I prefer to use my own, quality equipment that doesn’t have the guy I replaced’s grease and sweat all over it…[/QUOTE]
It ain’t PPE if someone else has used the equipment.
For $100-200 you should be able to go to audio-ear specialist and get them to make custom molded ear plugs. When I was in canadia, most people in the plant had them, and some had fancy ones that radios could hook to for a speaker. All the rock-stars wear them in bands these days as well (protects hearing and allowed individual mixes of the band to be heard by each person)
Guess you haven’t worked for the companies I have then…
[QUOTE=Slick Cam;183158]Guess you haven’t worked for the companies I have then…[/QUOTE]
“How many pairs of earplugs have you taken today? Here, why don’t you use these earmuffs. They have just been hanging in the control room for months now.”
[QUOTE=Slick Cam;183158]Guess you haven’t worked for the companies I have then…[/QUOTE]
I’ve worked for a few sorry companies but never had any trouble getting proper hearing protection. I have seen many idiots pass up the cases of ear plugs and head phones and walk into machinery spaces.
When I was about 17, I remember coming out of the engine room and hanging up my headphones. I forgot a pack of cigarettes on the E/R control station. I slid down the handrails with no hearing protection, grabbed the pack and ran back up the ladder. The Chief and 1st both lit into me about this stupid act and how the safety of the crew relied on our hearing and the next time this happened, I’d be fired. They got my attention. The Chief had hearing aids that made him look like a star trek actor and the 1st had a box like an old transistor radio in his pocket with an earphone.
I’m 63 now. My physical last year showed just a measurable amount of hearing loss at high frequencies. I always ordered high quality headphones and plugs. I always wore one or the other. I wore both while in the IG room.
If the company is too cheap to furnish PPE, file a grievance. I guess if your non union, find another company.